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w
ITH JOHN BULL
AND JONATHAN.
Reminiscences of Sixty Years of an
lerican's Life in England and in
ited States
>HN MORGAN RICHARDS l£4l-W
>
•';<• America* Society in London 1901 - 1901
w
ITH JOHN BULL
AND JONATHAN.
Reminiscences of Sixty Years of an
American's Life in England and in
the United States
BY JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS,
President of the American Society in London IQOI - IQO2
LONDON: T. WERNER LAURIE
CLIFFORD'S INN, FLEET STREET
1905
All Rights Reserved
Bancroft Library
TO MY
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
ON
BOTH SIDES THE ATLANTIC
Foreword
IN putting on record my reminiscences of life on both
sides of the Atlantic I do so from a British-American point
of view. I have not attempted to give advice to " pilgrims "
about to visit England, or the United States. There are no
descriptions of climate and scenery of either country, nor
statistics as to population, heights of mountains, lengths and
breadths of rivers and lakes, miles of railway, average rain-
fall, hours of sunshine, or " vital statistics " of any kind ; nor
do Politics enter into any of my observations.
My narrative concerns my own personal experiences in
both countries, covering a period of sixty years, thirty-
eight years of which — 1867-1905 — have been spent in
England. I was born in 1841, and my early life, until 1867,
was passed in the United States. My wish has been to give,
in pleasant outlines, sketches of those with whom I have
had social or business relations, how we fared together, and
apart.
The contrasts that are made as to Methods of life, both
Social and Commercial, are not to be regarded other than as
my own personal views, and have no further authoritative
importance.
I have placed myself really in the position of one
answering questions, which I believe to be of general in-
terest. In my estimate of the importance of such questions
I may have been greatly mistaken, and fallen short of my
aim and desire in the value of my replies.
JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS.
STKRPHILL CASTLE, ISLE OF WIGHT,
October 1905.
Contents
CHAPTER I
1841
Birth and Parentage — The inevitable Genealogical Tree — An-
cestors on both Sides — Their Settlement in the States —
My Mother's Death — Village Life of an American Minister
— A Donation Party — Early Friends — First School Ex-
periences— Sports and Pastimes — The Dame's quaint
Punishments — "Boys and Girls, turn your Heads" — Begin
Life on a Farm — Hard Work — Rejoin my Father — Fly
from "Yellow Jack" to a Slave Plantation— Life amongst
Slaves in Mississippi — Removal to New Orleans
CHAPTER II
My Father goes to England — I take his Library and effects to
New York — My First Warehouse Engagement — Manage a
Branch at Boston, and marry — Join the Firm of Demas
Barnes, and travel — In U.S. and Canada — I canvass
the Confederate States — Instructions for a Journey inl
California — "Create a Sensation" — My Mustang Ponies\
— Bankers and Credit — Novel Identification — Return to
New York — The Firm of Demas Barnes and the Partners
—The Beecher-Tilton Affair . 16
CHAPTER III
I get tired of Travelling — Resume my Road Work for a brief
Time — Engaged by Mr Van Duzer to represent his Firm
in England — The s.s. Russia — Cunarders in 1867 — Reach
Liverpool, and train for London — The Langholm Hotel —
Look around on Sunday — Settle down to Work — A Copy-
right Claim — My First Law-suit — My Wife rejoins me —
Madame Tussaud's — Visit America — Partnership dissolved
— Begin Business on my own Account . . .30
ix
Contents
PAGE
CHAPTER IV
Proprietary Business and Advertising — English Editors and their
Advertising Columns — Sale of Plantation Bitters — A Cute
American — River Scenery — A Puzzling Advertisement —
Advertising Fireworks — Taxing Proprietary Articles —
Pirating English Medicines — A New Fascination — Mr
Lever's View — United States for Machinery — England for
Cabinet Work — American Boots and Shoes . . .46
CHAPTER V
My New Business — The First Introduction of American Cigarettes
and Smoking Tobacco into England — The Richmond Gem
— The Quaker and the Cigarette — Forcing the British Sale
— A Great Tobacco Combination — Removal to Holborn
Viaduct — Interesting Neighbourhood — The Smithfield
Martyrs — Here John Bunyan died — Burial-place of Captain
John Smith — Bad Debts — Street Language — Forms of
Address — English Proprietary Articles in the United
States — Advanced Pharmacy — The Diamond Match
Company ....... 66
CHAPTER VI
Dr Joseph Parker — Personal Acquaintance and Friendship — My
Father's Visit and Death — Thursday Morning Services —
Henry Ward Beecher's Visit to London — Colman's Mustard
— Dr Parker's Lectures in the United States — Controversy
arises — Lecture Tour abbreviated — Dr Parker's Letters —
Plymouth Church — I join the Diaconate of City Temple
— Dr and Mrs Parkers Silver Wedding — Presentation of
Gifts — Dr Parker's Commandments for Men of Business . 79
CHAPTER VII
English Holiday-making — Our Visits with Dr and Mrs Parker —
Mrs Parker's Illness and Death— The Doctor's Grief— He
is Heart-broken — Continues his Ministry — His last Holiday
with us — Illness and Death ..... 98
CHAPTER VIII
Home Life — Dr Parker and Pearl — Illustrated Letters — My
Daughter Pearl's early Life — A Mimic — Her Studiousness
— Reads Thackeray — Effect of Toole's Acting and others
— Her First Book — Her First Play Education of my
Sons — Dorothy — Her Marriage . . . 1 1 1
Contents
PACK
CHAPTER IX
First Visit to a Theatre — "Romeo and Juliet" — A morning Call
— Tenants and Rent-collecting in New York — My early
Acquaintance with Mr Joseph Jefferson the Actor — Edwin
Forrest — F. B. Conway — Dan Bryant — The London Stage
in 1867-68 — Mrs Dallas Glyn — Her Gifts and Death — An
Experience at Stein way Hall — Racers through London . 124
CHAPTER X
Cost of Living in the States and in England — American and
English Hotels — The Question of Servants and of Clerks
— A dainty English Clerk v. A smart American — House-
keeping Expenses and Servants — Cab and Bus Fares —
Education in the United States and Great Britain — Food —
The American Society — American Charities in London —
Applicants for Relief — A Benevolent Fund — Stranded in
London — National Monument to the Queen — New Year
Calls — Tipping . . . . . .138
CHAPTER XI
The Academy — Scheme of Academy Crowns — London Forty
Years ago — Footsteps of the Martyrs — Middle Row dis-
appears— Opening of the Viaduct — Alterations in Build-
ings and Streets — Railways — Baron Grant and Leicester
Square — Athletics — English the better Oarsmen — Field
Sports — Mr Cooke of Leeds— The Isle of Wight— Steephill
Castle . . . . . . . .159
CHAPTER XII
Walking and Driving Tours in England — Widows as Publicans —
Young America in England and Young England in the
United States — The Alien American — An " Unnaturalised
Alien," — Firms of Americans in London — Continental
Experiences — A visit to Canada — Holland — Railway Travel-
ling— Porters and Porters . . . . 173
CHAPTER XIII
Revisiting America — The Changes apparent — In Ships crossing
the Atlantic — Improved Roads — Sky-scrapers — Servants —
Hours of Labour changed — Merchants seen by Everybody
— Travelling Facilities — Tyranny of Hackmen — Charity
Collections — Eating, Drinking, and Smoking — American
Women — The Stage Yankee — Questions of Accent and Pro-
nunciation . . . . . . .187
zi
Contents
PAGE
CHAPTER XIV
Social Amenities in American Clubs — Jonathan a Man of Business
— The Fashion in Vehicles — English in Clothes, Walking-
sticks, Umbrellas, and Hats— Liveries creeping in— Dust-
bins— Tomatoes on the Table — " Chicken Food " — Renting
Houses — Public Undertakings — What John Bull owes to
Jonathan — The Toast Master — The Seasons . . . 204
CHAPTER XV
Popularity of Americans in England — Episcopacy in the States
— National Distinctions — Prince of Wales' Visit — American
Public Men in England — Story of Mark Twain — The East-
Enders of New York — Relief of the Poor and the Sick —
" Wake up, England "—Mail-carrying, Old and New — The
Pony Express — Sunday Observances . . . 220
ui|pl
CHAPTER XVI
The Times and The Standard as Publishers— The Encyclopedia
Britannica and English Literature Half-a-million spent
in advertising — Company Promoting — Savings Banks in
United States— Cheque System— The Waldorf Astoria
— United States Officials — Divorce Laws in America —
English and American Women— A great Snowstorm . 235
CHAPTER XVII
Commercial Monopolies— The Presidential Platform, 1904— No
Loyal or Patriotic Toasts at Banquets in the States — " Our
Beggar Pedlar Bouncer is in " — Mock Auctions and Barkers
— Camp Meetings — Story by Sir John Millais — Mr Birch
and his Work — Mrs Jemima Luke — Conductors on Railways
— Art of Criticism — Luck — Precedents . ". . 254
CHAPTER XVIII
Solicitors, Barristers, and Attorneys-at-Law — Bills of Costs —
Judges in England and United States — Medical Men — Fire
Brigades — Management of Street Traffic — Bank of England
— General Post Office — Holidays — Waste caused in England
— Bicycles and Tricycles — Freemasons — Clubs — The Sphinx
Club — Circulating Libraries — The Times Book Club —
Patents— Motors . . . . . :*-> 268
CHAPTER XIX
1905
Afterwords — Gathering up the Threads .... 286
xii
List of Illustrations
Author ........ Frontispiece
Rev. James Richards, D.D. — grandfather ; Thomas Beals,
Banker— grandfather (mother's side) . . facing page 2
The Brothers Field. Taken at Stockbridge, Mass., in 1860,
for their Aunt, Mrs Abigail Field Beals, of Canandaigua,
New York. Reading from left to right, Henry M.
Field, Cyrus W. Field, Jonathan Field, David Dudley
Field, Matthew Field, Stephen J. Field . „ 4
Rev. James Richards, D.D. ; Mrs Elizabeth Beals Richards
(from a marble bust taken, 1840) . . „ 6
John Morgan of Aurora, New York (from an oil painting) ;
Morgan Hall, Auburn Theological Seminary . . „ 8
Main Street, Pen Yan, New York ; Bird's Eye View of
Canandaigua, New York . . . . . ,, 10
First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, New Jersey, 1797-
1847 : Public School, Canandaigua, New York . ,, 12
John Morgan Richards at New Orleans, La. (aged 12) ;
Cayuga Lake, Aurora, New York . . „ 16
Edward Cowles Richards; Mrs Elizabeth Beals Richards
(from a pencil drawing, 1845) • • • » l%
Demas Barnes, Merchant, New York ; William Porter
Ward, Merchant, New York . . . . ,, 26
Main Street, Penn Yan, New York ; Brent Good . . „ 28
Joseph Parker — Drawn in the firelight in the study at
"Tynehouse," Hampstead, 1888, by Maude Porter . „ 82
Rev. Dr Parker ; Mrs Parker ; Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
and Mrs Beecher on the Guildford Coach, June 1886 . ,, 86
List of Illustrations
Cyrus W. Field (Atlantic Cable) ; Rev. Dr Joseph Parker,
1875 •'•••'•, » •. • • . facing page 9
Rev Dr Parker at the Zoological Gardens, May 1902 . ,, 102
Facsimiles of Dr Parker's Letters to Pearl Richards . page 112
Pearl Richards (aged 5) . . . . facing page 112
Mrs Craigie at Lancaster Gate . . . . ,,122
Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie . . . . . ,,116
Stage favourites in America in the Sixties and after . . ,,126
Stage favourites in London in the Seventies and after . „ 130
Miss Glyn as Cleopartra, 1853 (from a crayon drawing by
Solomon) .......,, 134
Ventnor, Isle of Wight, looking East. Photo by Broderick
Ryde . ... ,,170
Steephill Castle, Isle of Wight . . . . „ 172
Coaching Party from Steephill Castle, August 1905 . . ,,176
National Bank of North America, New York . . ,, 190
Steamer Pilgrim passing under Brooklyn Suspension Bridge,
East River, New York . . . . ,, 194
Margaret Wilson, the Puritan Martyr, by C. B. Birch, A.R.A. „ 262
Facsimile of Drawing by Phiz, 1879 — Mrs John Morgan
Richards ........ 292
Cartoon by F. C. G. of the Author as President of the
Sphynx Club ...... End paper
With John Bull and Jonathan
CHAPTER I
1841
Birth and Parentage — The inevitable Genealogical Tree — Ancestors on
both Sides— Their Settlement in the States— My Mother's Death —
Village Life of an American Minister — A Donation Party — Early
Friends — First School Experiences — Sports and Pastimes — The
Dame's quaint Punishments — " Boys and Girls, turn your Heads "
ERRATA.
Page 62, from line 10, should read : " The only evening newspapers were
the Globe, established in 1803, and the Evening Standard in 1827, the Echo
being published in 1868. The Echo was the first to be brought out at the
price of a halfpenny."
Page 122, third line from bottom, should read : " in October, 1901."
ana, alter serving
settled in the State of Connecticut.
List of Illustrations
Cyrus W. Field (Atlantic Cable) ; Rev. Dr Joseph Parker,
i875
Rev Dr Parker at the Zoological Gardens, May 1902
Facsimiles of Dr Parker's Letters to Pearl Richards
Pearl Richards (aged 5)
Mrs Craigie at Lancaster Gate
Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie ....
Stage favourites in America in the Sixties and after .
Stage favourites in London in the Seventies and after
facing page 9
,, 10^
* page 112
facing page 112
122
116
126
130
Miss Glyn as Cleopartra, 1853 (from a crayon drawing by
Solomon) ...••••
Ventnor, Isle of Wight, looking East. Photo by Broderick
134
170
With John Bull and Jonathan
CHAPTER I
1841
Birth and Parentage — The inevitable Genealogical Tree — Ancestors on
both Sides— Their Settlement in the States— My Mother's Death —
Village Life of an American Minister — A Donation Party — Early
Friends — First School Experiences — Sports and Pastimes — The
Dame's quaint Punishments — " Boys and Girls, turn your Heads"
— Begin Life on a Farm — Hard Work — Rejoin my Father — Fly
from "Yellow Jack" to a Slave Plantation — Life amongst Slaves
in Mississippi — Removal to New Orleans.
WRITERS of fiction and romantic history have a
licence in the method of introducing their heroes and
heroines which cannot be allowed to the biographer.
In the works of the former class, questions of parent-
age, birth, and family history may be settled without
minute genealogical research. Not so, however, the
biographer : he is bound by conventions to account
for his progenitors, however tedious the recital, by
relating the "truth," which is oftentimes "stranger
than fiction."
My family is of English origin. An ancestor on
my father's side was a native of Lichfield, Stafford-
shire, who left England in the reign of Queen Anne,
and, after serving against the French in Canada,
settled in the State of Connecticut.
With John Bull and Jonathan
My grandfather, James Richards, was in the fourth
generation, being the son of James, who was the son
of James, the son of Samuel, the original settler. He
was born in New Canaan, Connecticut, 1767, and was
the eldest of nine children. His father was a farmer,
and his mother's maiden name was Ruth Hanford.
She was a woman of vigorous intellect and of uncom-
promising faithfulness in questions of social duty.
Children were then subjected to their parents, whom
they loved not less, but feared much more, than they
do now. Her son James was accustomed to say " his
mother governed her family" of nine children "with
her eye and forefinger."
My grandfather James Richards entered Yale Col-
lege in 1789. He was afterwards licensed to preach in
the western district of Fairfield, Conn., by the Presby-
terian Association, 1793. Subsequently he preached
at Ballston, New York, and at Sag Harbour and
Shelter Island, New York State, He married Caroline
Cowles of Farmington, Conn. She survived her hus-
band a little more than four years, and died at Auburn,
New York.
She was great-aunt to Commander William Sheffield
Cowles, recently acting as naval attache to the
American Embassy in London, who married Miss
Anna Roosevelt, sister of the President of the United
States.
In 1794 my grandfather was called to the pastoral
charge of the Presbyterian Church at Morristown,
New Jersey, and was installed in 1797, and in 1805
was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of
With John Bull and Jonathan
the Presbyterian Church. Afterwards, in 1809, he
accepted an invitation from the First Presbyterian
Church in Newark, New Jersey. Finally, in 1823,
he accepted a professorship at Auburn Theological
Seminary, New York. He died 2nd August 1843.
On my mother's side my grandfather was Thomas
Beals, who was born in Boston, Mass., and settled in
Canandaigua, Ontario Co., New York, October 1803.
His ancestor was John Beals, who emigrated from
Hingham, near Attleboro, Norfolk, England, in 1638.
He came over with his wife, five children, and two
servants in the sailing ship Diligent. There were 133
others from the same village on board ship, nearly all
of whom settled in Hingham, Mass.
Thomas Beals was a man of marked attainments,
combined with great industry and energy. He estab-
lished the Ontario Savings Bank in 1832, and after-
wards " The Thomas Beals Bank," locally known as
the " Bee Hive." A sign hung over the bank
entrance representing this emblem of industry and
savings. He became Treasurer of the Church and
Schools and various Corporations of the County, was
U.S. Pension Agent, and acted as financial adviser
and banker to the trading people and farmers of the
district. He erected several blocks of buildings,
built two large hotels, was interested in all move-
ments for the benefit of the town, and was greatly
respected. He died at Canandaigua in 1864, in his
eighty-second year.
Thomas Beals' sister Lydia, a noted beauty,
became the second wife of the Rev. Dr Lyman
3
With John Bull and Jonathan
Beecher, the father of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
Speaking of her, Mr H. W. Beecher wrote she was
" the possessor of great personal beauty, a cultivated
and intellectual mind, polished manners, and rich in
all social acquirements. Her religious awakening
. . assumed the character of a religion solemn,
inflexible, vigorous, and sombre."
My grandmother Beals was a Miss Abigail Field,
daughter of Captain Timothy Field, who came from
Guildford, Connecticut, with her brother, to reside in
Canandaigua, and was married to Thomas Beals.
Her brother, the Rev. Timothy Field, became first
pastor of the Congregational Church in that village.
This Grandmother was aunt to Cyrus W. Field of
Atlantic cable fame ; Stephen J. Field, Chief Justice
of the U.S. Supreme Court at Washington ; David
Dudley Field, jurist of New York ; and of Henry M.
Field, editor of The New York Evangelist, a traveller
and an author, who is still living at Stockbridge,
Mass.
She was also great-aunt to the present David J.
Brewer, Associate Judge of the United States Supreme
Court, Washington. Thus the singular coincidence
was presented, that both uncle and nephew were
associate judges, sitting together on the same Bench,
in the highest court of justice in the land — the one
being 73 years of age and the other 52.
A daughter of David Dudley Field resides in
England. She is the widow of the late Sir Anthony
Musgrave, G.C.M.G., Governor of Queensland
1883-8.
With John Bull and Jonathan
My father, Dr James Richards, was the youngest
son. He was originally destined for the Church ; but
after completing his early education at Union College,
Schenectady, New York, declared his preference for
the law, and entered upon the necessary studies in the
office of Judge Henry W. Taylor at Canandaigua,
New York.
As nothing is supposed to happen save the un-
expected, James Richards, the young law student,
who had no intention at that time of entering the
ministry, became acquainted with Elizabeth Beals.
She was the fifth daughter of Thomas Beals, an
educated and attractive young woman, deeply imbued
with sound religious convictions ; and was currently
reported to have vowed that she would never marry
anyone but a clergyman.
Her influence soon produced a change in my father's
projects, and he determined to give up law and be-
come a minister. There was no difficulty in this ; and
Dr Richards, then a professor of Auburn Theological
Seminary, welcomed his son as a student. After
three years he was licensed to preach.
In the autumn of the same year, Dr Richards of
Auburn officiated at the marriage of his son to
Elizabeth Beals. For many years, long after the
death of the bride, one sentence of Dr Richards' ad-
dress to the youthful couple was remembered and
quoted. He said to them : " God bless you, my
dears. Remember that love is as necessary after,
as before, marriage."
My father soon after accepted a call to the Presby-
5
With John Bull and Jonathan
terian Church of Aurora, a lovely village on the
shores of Cayuga Lake. This call was the more
acceptable because there lived here Mr Christopher
Morgan, whose son John, was in previous years, a
schoolmate and close friend of my father.
While residing here my mother gave birth to my
elder brother James ; and two years afterwards my
father's good friend, John Morgan, died. By his will
10,000 dollars was left to my father's church, and
2000 dollars for the purchase of a parsonage. These
were very substantial reasons for my father and
mother, on my birth, i6th February 1841, naming
me after their deceased and generous friend John
Morgan.
My Father soon after transferred his ministry to
the church at Penn Yan, Yates County, New York.
Here mother gave birth to my two sisters, Caroline
Cowles and Anna Beach. At this period my mother's
health seriously declined, and her death soon after-
wards took place.
Her life at Penn Yan may be gathered by extracts
from letters, which she wrote to her parents and
sisters, that have been preserved. There are con-
stant references to her increasing illness, and to visits
from medical men, whose services were always ren-
dered gratuitously, as the custom was with regard to
the wives of all ministers.
There are slight glimpses of home life — sewing
parties, and of the entertainment of friends, relatives,
and ministers. There is one reference to the loss of
a double fee for the marrying of two couples at a
6
! I
a js
With John Bull and Jonathan
place eleven miles distant through the husband's
absence from home, and the expression of a regret,
as though the fee would have been welcome.
Two other references recall the strictness of prin-
ciples in the early days of Puritanism. A discussion
arose as to the propriety of sending out invitations to
parties seven days in advance — one friend objecting
because "his thoughts became so much distracted that
the sermons on the Sabbath did him no good " ; the
second question was as to the conduct of those suffer-
ing from any infirmity. Here is the problem : "Mrs
goes out a great deal, not for exercise, but to
visit. She does not walk a step while in the house ;
she reclines on a sofa or sits in a rocking-chair. Dr
and Mr take her in their arms as they
would a child, and carry her out of doors, and place
her in the carriage. . . . How she can consent to
such things is more than I can account for.
Mamma says that if a wise Providence had so
afflicted her that she could not go about, as other
people did, she would be resigned to her fate, and
stay at home. I presume this is the language of
many hearts."
These extracts outline the unalluring incidents of
their daily life.
In order to provide for the oversight of my brother,
my sisters, and myself, and at the same time super-
intend the affairs of the house, my father, after the
funeral of mother, engaged an excellent housekeeper.
I was sent with my brother to a Dame's school near
at hand, and as this was the first school we attended
With John Bull and Jonathan
the event was regarded by both of us as one of con-
siderable importance. There were not more than
twenty boys and girls there, and we were taught in
classes according to age.
At this school the mistress had quite an original
way of punishing recalcitrant scholars. Boys were
made to stand on the entrance porch wearing a girl's
sun-bonnet while the mail stage-coach passed. Upon
one special occasion I was suffering this punishment
when Judge Ellsworth, a Member of Congress for the
county, who had a son in the school, passed by on
the coach, to my great discomfiture.
If a boy had been excessively naughty a more
serious punishment was inflicted. The culprit was
placed across the knees of the mistress, who, calling
out " Boys and girls, turn your faces to the wall ! "
spanked the offender with a rule.
Among my earliest school friends was Stewart
Ellsworth, son of Judge Ellsworth, who afterwards
became a major-general in the United States army,
and served during the American Civil War. He
visited me in London some years ago.
After the lapse of two years my father took for his
second wife Sarah Wisner. She was the daughter of
Mr Henry A. Wisner, a distinguished lawyer of the
town, and a descendant of Henry Wisner, who was
a delegate to the Convention for forming the con-
stitution of the State of New York.
This even was almost immediately followed by a
call, which was accepted, to the pastorate of a church
at Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, which
8
JOHN MORGAN, OF AURORA, NEW VOKK.
From an Oil Painting.
MORGAN HALL. AUBURN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
With John Bull and Jonathan
Dr Richards, my grandfather, had aforetime filled,
and we at once removed to that town.
As soon as we were settled my father placed my
brother and myself in the Morris Academy — a
partially-endowed and excellent local school. There
were about 120 boys and girls there, and the manage-
ment was in the hands of a Principal, Mr Isaac A.
Blauvelt, whose wife had charge of the girls' depart-
ment. The usual curriculum was enforced ; and here,
in my eighth year, I was placed in the Latin class.
Amongst the many boys here, with whom we be-
came very friendly, only one or two are now living —
with one of whom, George Voorhees, a successful
merchant in the town, I have held correspondence
from the time of leaving school to the present day.
While at this school James and I suffered much
from a pleasant custom which existed, known as "A
Donation Party." This was held once a year at the
Pastor's house, and was attended by members of the
church and congregation, and other friends, who came
laden with gifts intended to supplement the pastor's
salary. No one in the family was exempted from the
kind attentions of the visitors, and the gifts, for the
most part practical, included eggs and butter, flour,
vegetables, loads of firewood, poultry, joints, groceries,
and clothing. These last mentioned caused the suffer-
ing to which I alluded. The clothing was in most
instances second-hand — suits which other boys had
outgrown ; dresses of the previous season, a trifle
out of fashion in colour or style ; and what was
donated had to be worn, lest the donor receive
With John Bull and Jonathan
offence. My father, however, was exempt from any
humiliation on this score. He was so tall that no
garment worn by anyone else in the town would fit
him ; and, although my stepmother was not altogether
exempted, the chief burden of shame, James and I
considered, fell upon us. The clothes which came to
us were, of course, those which had been worn at
school by our fellow-pupils, and had been carefully
put aside by the parents against Donation Day.
I shall never forget upon one occasion appearing
at school in a pair of second-hand trousers, and
being at once accosted by other boys. " Hello !
John Morgan," they cried out, " I guess you've got
on Dick S.'s trousers. Ha! ha!"
Upon another "Donation" occasion I was presented
with a cap and top-boots — all were new. The cap
was so large that I had to place a thick lining of
cotton wool inside the head band to keep it on my
head. The boots were several sizes beyond my
measure. I was greeted at school with some words
of chaff regarding the cap — the boots were at once
hailed as " canal boats," all to my complete undoing.
I absolve the good friends who sent these gifts from
any motives other than utter kindness, but they
lacked the instinct to understand "boys."
James was more obtrusively pugnacious than I,
and when they began upon him he armed him-
self with a leaden sling, and gave notice that he
would let fly at any boy who jeered him. One of
the bigger lads, relying upon his superior years
and strength, commenced chaffing him, and at once
10
MAIN STREET, PENN YA\, NEW YORK.
BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK.
With John Bull and Jonathan
received a blow which cut through the skin of his
head. This came to the knowledge of the Principal,
who put a stop at once to the annoyances to
which we were subjected.
At the very first of these Donation parties held
in Morristown my stepmother was presented with
a silk dress which had been worn by one of the
ladies of the congregation. This she wore on the
following Sunday, and while standing in the vesti-
bule warming her hands and feet over the register
before going inside, the previous owner stepped up
to her, and raising the hem of the gown, said : " Wai,
Mrs Richards, I think I've seen that dress before."
There was a titter among those present ; but my mother
replied with great composure: " You certainly showed
good taste," and then passed to her seat in church.
After two years my father left Morristown through
ill health, which led to the members of our family
being scattered. James, my two sisters, and I went
to live with our grandparents at Canandaigua, who
now assumed all responsibility for the maintenance
of my brother and myself as well as my two sisters.
No words can fitly describe their unselfish, devoted,
and tender care of us. My sisters remained under
their roof for some years — after my brother and
myself were settled in life, and earning our own
living. My stepmother with my two stepsisters,
who were born at Morristown, returned to Penn
Yan, to her mother's house.
Giving up his ministry, my Father went to reside
at Princeton, New Jersey, the site of the present
ii
With John Bull and Jonathan
University, where he remained for about a year,
and then obtained a professorship in the Planters'
College, Port Gibson, Mississippi.
My Grandfather at once sent James to the
Canandaigua Academy and sent me to a district
public school.
As in England, so in the United States, there is
a particular sport common to youth in every season
of the year. Beginning with the winter months —
November, December, and January we had skating
and tobogganing — but the latter sport in my days
had the simple name of ''sliding downhill." Both
boys and girls engaged in these sports, and in
skating the girls were always more graceful and
more expert than the boys. Nearly every skater
then, was able to execute upon the ice, many of the
fantastic and skilful figures which have since become
well known to professional skaters, and are now
shewn by amateurs at skating rinks — which, by the
way, is of American introduction to England. In
the spring we had baseball and top and marble
playing. In summer-time fishing, swimming, and
ball-playing were enjoyed to the utmost. Neither
football nor cricket was known to us.
My grandfather held the opinion that out-of-door
work should be regarded as a part of education, and,
in pursuance of that principle, at the end of twelve
months, arrangements were made for both of us to
learn some of the principles of farming.
My brother James and I were sent to separate
farms in the village of East Bloomfield. These farms
12
FIRST PRKSHVTKKIAX CHURCH, MOKRISTOWN, N.J. 1797-1847.
PUBLIC SCHOOL, CANANDAIGUA, NEW YORK.
With John Bull and Jonathan
were three miles apart, and eight miles from Canan-
daigua. In the State of New York the usual farm-
holding was 1 60 acres, and this was the extent of
the land worked by the farmers to whom my brother
and I were sent. We received no wages, but had our
board and "keep." We were most kindly treated
as members of the family. I had to take a share
in all the " chores " throughout the day. Rising at
five o'clock in the morning, I had to assist in milking
the cows, grooming, feeding, and watering the horses,
and many other jobs about the place. We sat down
to breakfast at 6.30 A.M. — taking that meal by
candle-light in winter time ; had dinner at noon ; and
a tea-supper at six o'clock ; then, after further work,
went to bed at nine in the evening. In the spring,
summer, and autumn months I found variations of
work in the fields. In winter-time there was threshing
of grain, corn shelling, feed cutting (hay and straw
and roots, for horses and cattle). I had to share in
attending "market" with eggs, butter, and poultry;
and exchange them with storekeepers for household
requirements.
Nor was this all, because there was a maple sugar
bush of 300 trees on the farm ; and I was taught how
to tap the trees in spring so as to draw off the liquid
sugar, and boil this in the sugar-house until formed
into a marketable article.
In the winter months I attended school at East
Bloomfield village, two miles from the farm.
In the evenings the wife of the farmer was good
enough to read aloud to us. Among other works
13
With John Bull and Jonathan
thus read was Mrs Beecher Stowe's famous book,
" Uncle Tom's Cabin," and I remember that we
never heard, at any one time, quite enough of that
remarkable story. Our sympathies were strongly
aroused in favour of the slaves, and subsequently
I had the opportunity of becoming acquainted with
a slave estate where no cruelties were ever inflicted
upon the slaves.
At this work I continued two years, from my
eleventh to my thirteenth birthday ; and I wonder
how boys of the present day would like a similar
course of work and instruction to prepare them for the
business of life.
In 1853 my brother and I rejoined my father at
Port Gibson, Mississippi, where we entered as
students in the college of which my father was a
professor. This involved a journey of upwards of
1600 miles, and the descent of the Ohio and Missis-
sippi Rivers from Cincinatti, Ohio, to Grand Gulf,
Miss. — a river voyage of seven or eight days, in
terrible heat, with mosquitoes galore, and water
to drink that no brute or dumb animal on the farm
we had just left would touch. The drinking of this
water to a Northerner was equivalent to a " bid " for
fever and ague and other ills. However, we sur-
vived the heat, mosquitoes, and the foul water.
After the lapse of a year yellow fever broke out,
and we were driven out of Port Gibson into the
interior, away from the Mississippi River, to a slave
plantation called " Woodbine." There were about
300 negroes on the estate. Here my brother and I
14
With John Bull and Jonathan
had horses and ponies placed at our disposal, and
under the guidance of older boys we quickly learned
to ride and shoot. We greatly enjoyed our visits to
the negro quarters, and their songs, music, and
dancing. Our shooting was nothing more serious
than the killing of wild ducks, wild pigeons, and
squirrels ; but we soon became quite expert in the
use of the gun. Coming fresh from the reading of
" Uncle Tom's Cabin," I can bear my testimony to
the fact that there was neither cruelty nor torture
practised at this large plantation.
At the end of four months my father received a call
to the pastorate of the second Presbyterian Church in
New Orleans, which he accepted.
My brother then left, and was entered as a student
of Princeton College, New Jersey ; while I accom-
panied my father to his new charge.
CHAPTER II
My Father goes to England — I take his Library and Effects to New
York — My First Warehouse Engagement — Manage a Branch
at Boston, and marry — Join the Firm of Demas Barnes, and
travel — In U.S. and Canada — I canvass the Confederate States
— Instructions for a Journey in California — "Create a Sensation" —
My Mustang Ponies — Bankers and Credit — Novel Identification
— Return to New York — The Firm of Demas Barnes and the
Partners— The Beecher-Tilton Affair.
IN 1855 my father resigned the pastorate of the
church at New Orleans, and proceeded to England
for the benefit of his health, leaving me in charge
of friends. Towards the close of his absence he
decided to return to America via New York instead
of New Orleans, and I received instructions to pack
his library, some 3000 volumes, and all other personal
effects, and join him in New York. As I was then
only in my thirteenth year I was very proud of this
commission, which I carried out without any hitch.
I remember that I bought suitable cases, packed the
whole of them, arranged freight terms by steamer,
and conveyed them to New York, a voyage of 1500
miles, reaching that city on 4th July 1855. After
meeting my father at the house of my uncle, Edward
Cowles Richards, in New York my future career
was discussed and settled. I was given the choice
of continuing my studies at school, and then following
my brother's example by entering college, as he had
16
JOHN MORGAN RICHARDS, AT NEW ORLEANS, LA. AGE 12.
CAYUGA LAKE, AURORA, NEW YORK.
With John Bull and Jonathan
done, or training for a commercial life, and I decided
upon the latter course. The responsibility of the
maintenance of my brother and myself was from this
period assumed by my uncle. He was my father's
senior by ten years, had no children, and during
the greater part of his life had engaged with great
success in the importation of woollen goods from
England and the Continent ; but at this time had
retired from business, with a high character for hon-
ourable dealing as a merchant, and as a land-owner.
His great kindness to those members of his family
who had any claim upon his sympathies, or who bore
the surname of Richards, and his unwearied benefi-
cence on their behalf, stands unrivalled. He died
25th February 1880 at New York, in his seventy-
fourth year, and was buried at Auburn. He lived
to see many of those whom he assisted in early life
rise to honourable positions.
Within four weeks of my arrival in New York I
entered upon my first engagement as an office-boy
and general clerk, in an agricultural implement and
seed warehouse ; for which my previous farming ex-
perience had to a certain extent prepared me. The
salary at first was but $2.50 (IDS.) a week. My
Uncle Edward kindly supplemented this sum with
sufficient to find me food and clothes. After the
first year I was fortunately able to obtain a salary
I could live upon ; and after my sixteenth year had
never again to ask pecuniary aid. I remained in this
warehouse five years, and in 1860, in my nineteenth
year, was appointed by the firm to manage a branch
B 17
With John Bull and Jonathan
of their business in Boston, and while so occupied
the Civil War broke out. While in Boston I had
the happiness of meeting with Laura Hortense
Arnold, the third daughter of Captain Seth Harris
Arnold of East Boston, who became my wife on
3 ist December 1863. Captain Arnold, came origin-
ally from Mahone Bay, Shelburne County, Nova
Scotia, and my wife, who was born there, was
brought thence when she was three years old. Her
grandfather on her mother's side was the Honourable
Peter A. Spearwater, who represented Shelburne
County, in the Colonial Parliament at Halifax for
twenty-five years. During the year and a half of our
acquaintance she paid visits to members of my family
in Connecticut, and in New York. We were married
at Boston. I was then twenty-three years of age.
We remained in Boston for a year after our mar-
riage, and in 1864 returned to New York, where
I entered the service of Messrs Demas Barnes &
Co., a firm occupying a very high position in the
mercantile world. I had been acting for them in
Boston for upwards of three years, on commission
terms, as an adjunct to other business in which I was
engaged. They formed an opinion that they could
employ my whole time, and proposed a permanent
post and salary. Mr Demas Barnes was a very re-
markable man of business, possessed of untiring in-
dustry, and amazing shrewdness, who had the rare
gift of inspiring all about him with confidence, and
winning their devotion.
The second day after my new engagement a short
18
EDWARD COWLES RICHARDS.
MRS. ELIZABETH BEALS RICHARDS
(From a pencil drawing, 1845.)
With John Bull and Jonathan
journey in Canada was arranged for me ; after which
I was directed to visit every town in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri — the journey
to occupy three months.
Mr Barnes said to me : " Stop at every town in
these States on the line of railway where there is
a church spire, a bank, and a newspaper office." I
carried no samples, only a catalogue containing a
price list of about 1000 articles in which the firm
dealt. I passed from town to town by rail ; but
when the next town was at a considerable distance
I travelled by night, and so economised my time.
Wherever I stopped I always lodged at first-class
hotels -^-" Commercial Hotels" were unknown in
America. The firm had no fixed allowance per day
for their travellers, but liberal out-of-pocket expenses
were paid. I remember Mr Barnes saying to me :
" The firm does not wish to make money out of your
economies, nor may you make profit out of travelling
expenses. You are expected to render a careful
account of all expenditure." My expenses averaged
about $8.00 a day, including railway fares. There
are no second or third class travelling facilities in
the United States, other than on emigrant trains.
We were allowed Pullman cars and sleeping berths if
we travelled at night. This journey was regarded
as a successful one.
During the following two years, journeys of a
similar character were arranged for me, upon each
of which I found my experience ripening ; and these
continued until I had travelled the whole of the
19
With John Bull and Jonathan
United States, from Maine to Georgia, over and
over again.
At the close of the war — which lasted from 1861-65
— I was in Louisville, Kentucky, and received a
telegram from Mr Barnes to proceed at once through
the Confederated territory of Nashville and Chatta-
nooga and Memphis, in Tennessee. These towns
had been laid under restrictions of travel during the
war, but were once more opened to Northern travellers.
I was authorised to use my own discretion in dealing
with the customers I might discover. Most of the
old firms were in existence, with which the firm had
done business in one form or another, though many
of the previous proprietors had either been killed, or
wounded during the war. The dealing with new
men required much caution and discretion. I was
the first Northerner in our business who had ap-
peared among them to advertise in their newspapers.
I was regarded with some suspicion at first, but I
never had anything unpleasant said to me ; the re-
putation of the house which I represented was quite
sufficient to disarm suspicion, and on such a footing
satisfactory business was possible. The orders which
I took were important, and the newspapers gave ex-
cellent terms for space, and expressed themselves well
pleased to again receive Northern support for their
journals. My work comprehended a good deal more
than selling goods. The advertisements had to be
revised and adapted. Separate and careful accounts
of the same had to be kept. This involved much care
and attention.
20
With John Bull and Jonathan
Throughout 1865 I was continually travelling, ten
months being so occupied out of the twelve.
In February 1866 Mr Barnes requested me to
undertake a journey to California, on the Pacific
coast, and although this would involve an absence
of a year I immediately accepted the engagement.
At the same time I told him that, upon a great
journey such as he proposed, I thought I should feel
more content, and accomplish better results for the
firm, if my wife were allowed to accompany me.
Without a moment's hesitation Mr Barnes said :
" Engage passages for yourself and wife at our ex-
pense ; we will pay all the cost." This is only
one out of many instances which I might quote in
illustration of the goodness of heart which regulated
the conduct of Mr Barnes. In all business matters
he was exact and strict, and his instructions were
models of perspicuity, full of shrewd observation,
and exhibiting a grasp of every detail, which was
never at fault.
In illustration of what I say, the following were
my instructions upon setting out upon this journey
—omitting only a few details about the prices, and
percentages, and credits, upon several classes of
articles ; and the names of places I was to visit : —
"NEW YORK, loth February 1866.
" You will please proceed to California by first
steamer, stopping on the Isthmus of Panama one
week. . . . Your first business is to advertise in all
good family papers possible. Avoid all mining,
21
With John Bull and Jonathan
scientific, and agricultural journals. Rely princi-
pally upon religious, secular, and literary weeklies.
It will hardly pay to advertise in many dailies. San
Francisco and Portland, Oregon, are particularly im-
portant as emanating centres. Contract for twelve
months on best terms you can — longest settlements
possible — probably about three months. Make
arrangements with some house in San Francisco to
receive your duplicate contracts. Examine newspaper
vouchers, and pay the accounts on date due. In all
advertisements say * Sold by all dealers.' Grant no
favours, advertise no man ; we expect all dealers to
sell our goods, hence the majority cannot be alienated
for the benefit of a few. In making newspaper con-
tracts please remember you are not limited in adver-
tising to any amount of dollars. ' Create a sensation.'
" The Pacific coast is without many railways, and
has to rely upon rivers and waggon roads for trans-
portation, hence the season has much to do in
determining time to visit the different places. You
will arrive in San Francisco 2Oth March. After
getting everything organised and under weigh, visit
following towns (a list of which was given), subject
to such changes as we may advise later. Advise me
by telegraph once a month, and by letter twice a
month. — With best wishes, etc."
In this careful and thoughtful manner, out of his
large experience, he gave me the wisest counsel at
his command. My wife and I went by steamer as
directed, disembarked at Aspinwall, and did business
22
With John Bull and Jonathan
there and at Panama, occupying seven days, and
caught the s.s. Golden City, on which we sailed for
San Francisco. The trip, including the time spent
on the Isthmus, occupied exactly twenty-eight days.
This was the ordinary course of the mail service
before the Pacific Railway was constructed. My
introductory work in San Francisco occupied a
month. When arranging my long road journey into
the interior I came to the conclusion that I should
waste a great amount of time by waiting for the mail
stage-coach over my routes, and decided, on my own
responsibility, to purchase a pair of mustang ponies
and a suitable four-wheeled vehicle of sufficient ca-
pacity to carry my advertising materials and my
assistant. This was soon accomplished. I found
my wife a good home with a private family in San
Francisco, and started. The principal banking busi-
ness on the coast at that period was not done with
banks, but with Wells, Fargo & Co., Express Agents,
who had offices in every town on the Pacific coast,
and the only currency was gold and silver. I carried
a letter of credit upon which I could draw on San
Francisco for any amount I required, so that it was
only necessary for me to carry about with me sufficient
for my daily needs.
My methods of identification at the express offices,
when any question was raised, was to bare my right
arm, and exhibit my name, which was tattooed thereon.
This was original, but never failed to satisfy the most
sceptical cashier with whom I had to deal.
Now to return to my journey. I drove the mustang
23
With John Bull and Jonathan
ponies myself, and covered during my tour with them
over 2600 miles. I carried out, as closely as possible,
the instructions laid down in Mr Barnes' letter. This
really meant visiting every town and mining camp
from San Diego to Fraser River. I had many
interesting experiences : was often obliged to get
shelter for the night in the most primitive of inns ;
sleep on the floor in a room with a dozen miners
and teamsters ; partake of food of coarsest description,
badly cooked ; bar-rooms open all night ; drunken
men quarrelling, and sometimes shooting at one
another — in fact, " roughing it " as rough as is possible
to imagine. The roads were good. I followed the
stage routes as far as possible, and tried always to
get at night to one of their stations to sleep — if I
could not manage a town or camp. The Alkali dust
was something fearful to face. I wore linen overalls
and jackets, above my woollen clothing to protect my-
self, and to be presentable when making business
calls.
Northern California in 1866 was a wilderness in
contrast with the condition of things to-day. Even
then the larger towns, both in California and Nevada,
were well laid out, and had many fine buildings,
churches, and shops, warehouses, hotels, and flourish-
ing newspapers. The gold discovery and the rush
to this El Dorado was in 1849. This was seventeen
years later. The journey was an important one from
a business standpoint. Mr Barnes had not in the
least over-estimated the harvest that was possible to
be secured for his firm. After reaching Portland,
24
With John Bull and Jonathan
Oregon, and putting the ponies to feed and rest for
a time, I sold them and my " Concord buggy " to
a jobmaster for only £10 less than I paid for them.
I had driven them, on the average, twenty miles a
day. Before starting, the ponies had been well
seasoned, and, I think, came from a travelling circus.
I accomplished the journey in one-third less time than
was possible by mail-coach, and at less expense — no
mishap occurred to buggy, ponies, or myself. I carried
a six-chambered revolver in my belt, as was the custom
with all men driving on the road or engaged in min-
ing, and this I never had the least occasion to use.
Once the weapon was jerked from my belt, while
standing in a saloon, by a miner, and was pointed
at a man with whom he was quarrelling. No firing
took place, however, and the revolver was returned
to me.
From Portland, Oregon, we took steamer to Victoria,
in British Columbia ; then across Puget Sound to
Olympia and Seattle, in Washington territory ; back
to Portland ; thence by steamer to San Francisco,
cleared up all business ; and took steamer to New
York, via Panama and Aspinwall, making no stop, and
arrived in New York twenty-one days after starting.
I was complimented on the success of my journey,
and awarded a generous advance in salary.
At the period of my joining the firm of Demas
Barnes & Co., who carried on business at 21 Park
Row, New York, the place was known as the United
States Medicine Warehouse, and the firm were pro-
prietors of, or agents for, or had upon sale, all the
25
With John Bull and Jonathan
principal proprietary medicines of the day, foreign
and domestic. There were also departments for the
sale of druggists' sundries, for perfumery, and for
fancy goods.
The firm consisted of Demas Barnes and William
Porter Ward; but at the time I left, in 1867,
there were five partners, with a branch under the
name of Barnes, Ward & Co. trading at New
Orleans ; and another branch trading as Barnes,
Henry & Co. in Montreal, Canada. In the partner-
ship there were Messrs Barnes & Ward, Mr John
F. Henry, Amos G. Torrey, and Brent S. H. Good.
I am bound to mention that this firm was an ex-
ceptionally interesting one in consequence of the
unique personality of the founder, and the remarkable
talent he was able to gather about him as partners
and workers — the firm not merely buying or manu-
facturing goods to be sold at a trading profit ; but the
transactions of each day bringing into exercise the
best mental effort and genius of those concerned.
Mr Demas Barnes, the head of the firm, was a
self-made man — a strong character at every point.
In personal appearance he was above medium height,
stood very upright, possessed piercing, resolute, deep-
set eyes, and high forehead. In his manner he was
always conciliatory, if not plausible ; and especially
courteous and agreeable to those in his employ. He
was prompt in deciding questions submitted to him
of every character, and was rarely found in error
on a business point, while his acumen was really
phenomenal. On coming to a decision he was not
26
With John Bull and Jonathan
easily turned away. He was a very industrious man,
and an early riser : he was frequently at his desk
writing letters at five o'clock in the morning. He
made a rule to receive as few calls as possible at
his office, on social or political matters. All such ap-
pointments were fixed by him at his private residence
before breakfast, or after dinner. Correspondence
by dictation or the use of typewriting machines was
entirely unknown then, and so was the use of the
telephone. All letters of instruction to his travellers
he took upon himself, and wrote with his own hand.
I remember that upon one occasion when I went
into his room to see him he was so fatigued that he
said : "I do not wish to call down any judgment
upon myself, but I could almost hail with delight if
my right arm were paralysed, so that I could escape
the necessity of further writing, I am so tired." All
the same, when away from New York travelling,
he found time to correspond with newspapers on
topics of the day ; and wrote several books upon his
travels at home and abroad. Work was rest to him,
and he never absented himself from the office will-
ingly. Two of his books which were published were
entitled, respectively, " From the Atlantic to the
Pacific," and " In Search of Summer Breezes in
Northern Europe."
Mr Demas Barnes, after his election to Congress,
became part proprietor of The Brooklyn Eagle, one
of the most successful daily papers in the state of
New York. After his retirement from commercial
life in 1870 he started The Brooklyn Argus, a daily
27
With John Bull and Jonathan
morning and evening paper. This was never a
financial success, though the enterprise and energy
he threw into the work astonished the most experi-
enced newspaper proprietors in the country.
One incident in proof of this may be mentioned.
During his proprietorship of The Argus the so-called
confessions of Mrs Theodore Tilton in reference to
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher were made by her.
The MS. was brought to Mr Barnes at ten o'clock
one night. He at once gave directions that the
paper should not be put to press until he gave the
word. Repairing to the residence of one of his
leader-writers he roused him from sleep by throwing
gravel at his bedroom window. A short conference
followed. Mr Barnes told him what he had had
offered to him, and the price put upon the MS., and
asked what he should do. "Accept," was the laconic
reply. He hurried back to his office, and set the
compositors to work, and next morning the startling
story was telegraphed from The Argus, throughout
the United States and to Europe. This was the
beginning of the Beecher-Tilton controversy.
By a singular coincidence, when in 1886 Mr
Barnes came over to England, Henry Ward Beecher
and his wife were passengers by the same vessel.
The Argus was not a financial success. Mr
Barnes, though editor, did not secure the loyal ser-
vice of his writers. They were too independent,
and he was unable to control or guide them. In
his newspaper enterprises he was so keen that, at
the age of fifty, he mastered all the details of the
28
MAIN STREET, 1'ENN YAN, NEW YOEK.
BEENT GOOD.
With John Bull and Jonathan
work, the mechanical methods, as well as composing,
imposing, and the laying on and taking off the sheets.
He frequently set up certain paragraphs which he
wanted kept secret until publication, and dropped them
into the forme himself. He sold his shares in The
Eagle when he started The Argus ; but subsequently,
thoroughly discouraged with his experience as a pro-
prietor and editor of a daily paper, he sold The Argus
for a mere song, which was then incorporated with
another paper in Brooklyn, which is still in existence.
His pecuniary loss was enormous at the time ; but
by a singular turn of fortune the buildings which he
purchased for the production of The Argus became
of greatly enhanced value, owing to their proximity
to the City Hall and Law Courts ; and upon selling
the property he more than recouped his loss on the
newspaper venture.
Mr William Porter Ward was to some extent a
protege of Mr Barnes, as he joined the firm, in the
first place, as one of the office staff. Recognising in
him the supreme quality of mastership of detail, not
only in stock keeping and purchasing, but in all
matters of finance and accounts, he was glad to
make him a partner, and to share with him the re-
sponsibility of success. He said to me upon one
occasion when in London, Mr Ward could manage
the Bank of England.
CHAPTER III
I get Tired of Travelling — Resume my Road Work for a brief Time —
Engaged by Mr Van Duzer to represent his Firm in England —
The s.s. Russia — Cunarders in 1867 — Reach Liverpool, and
train for London — The Langham Hotel — Look around on Sunday
— Settle down to Work — A Copyright Claim — My First Law-suit
— My Wife rejoins me — Madame Tussaud's — Visit America —
Partnership dissolved — Begin Business on my own Account.
HAVING now reached my twenty-sixth year, I became
quite tired of travelling, which involved long absences
from home, so I sought an interview with Mr Barnes
in reference to my future position. I explained to
him that I had been travelling five years, and had
visited all important places in Canada and the United
States in the interests of his firm, and that I desired
to have a post assigned me in the advertising depart-
ment at headquarters. He listened attentively to
what I said, declared that he sympathised with my
wishes, but pointed out that there was no vacancy
in the establishment where I could be suitably placed,
and he promised that if I would be patient, the time
would come when I should get a position in the office,
and an interest in the business also. I therefore
resumed my road work.
On returning from my next journey one of the
partners told me that Mr S. R. Van Duzer, a well-
known wholesale druggist in New York, with a branch
3°
With John Bull and Jonathan
business in London, England, had called that day
to ask if they had anyone they could recommend,
as an advertising and sales manager, for his English
branch, who could sail at once. My name was men-
tioned. Mr Barnes was consulted upon the question ;
then I was interviewed by Mr Van Duzer ; the result
was that I was engaged to go to London immediately.
Terms were embodied in a provisional agreement,
and I sailed with Mr Van Duzer for England, i3th
November 1867, on the Cunard s.s. Russia, which
was at that time considered the greyhound of the
Atlantic.
The best Atlantic passage of thirty years ago was
made by the City of Berlin, which reached Queens-
town from New York, in October 1875, in seven
days, fifteen hours — the distance being 2820 miles.
This record was beaten in 1882 by the Alaska, which
covered the same distance in six days, twenty-three
hours.
Here I must pause a moment to mention that ten
days prior to my sailing for England, my wife gave
birth at Boston, Mass., to her first-born child, after-
wards christened Pearl.
An ocean voyage to England at that time was
regarded as quite an event. The travellers were few,
and limited to those seeking health in another climate,
and men engaged in business. The voyager for
recreation or pleasure was an exception. I remember
the scenes in the Cunard Dock, New York, when
we embarked. Members of parting families seemed
overcome with grief and apprehension. Now, although
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moist eyes and a stray tear are witnessed, smiles and
cheers predominate, and people entrust their most
precious of human treasures, their best beloved, to
strongly-made ships, experienced and skilful captains,
with a feeling of confidence, which is a great relief.
The steamer Russia was a very different class of
vessel to those of the present day. The first-class
dining-saloon was in the after-part of the ship. There
were no state-rooms much above the water-line, no
music-room, nor lounge, nor smoking-room. Those
who wished to smoke had to go on deck, near the
smoke-stack for warmth, or go into the " Fiddle," a
deck-room amidship. There were coils of rope here,
and hard wood benches, and not more than ten
could enter at a time.
On the voyage there were about sixty saloon pas-
sengers. The food was wholesome, and the service
excellent, but no attempt was made at an elaborate
menu. There were no electric bells to call the
stewards to your room ; no light in state-room, except
a fixed lamp set in the partition, and controlled from
outside. Stewards were called by shouting. No
steering by machinery — the enormous steering-wheel
being hand-worked by two seamen. No speaking-
tubes — the orders "Port" or " Starboard" were
passed by word of mouth to the man at the helm —
and sails were spread to supplement the steam power.
We reached Liverpool on the morning of the tenth
day from New York. Proceeding to the railway
station, Lime Street, we booked at once for London.
At that time luggage was placed on the roof of the
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carriage in which one travelled. There was then a
six hours' journey to London.
On arrival we drove to the Langham Hotel,
Portland Place, at that time the principal hotel in
London, and favoured with the largest American
patronage. The hotel, however, was not to be
compared in appointments or service with any large
hotel of any important city in America, or with the
"Langham" itself of to-day. All the guests were
lighted to bed with candles. The halls, staircases, and
quarters were bitterly cold, and there was no heat-
ing apparatus of any kind. There were grate fires
in the reception and reading rooms. I never re-
membered to have suffered from cold to the same
extent indoors ; the chilliness of the atmosphere went
right to the bones. The coffee-room would compare
favourably with the chief dining-room of a Boston
or New York hotel at that day. In the street at
night I was astonished at the brilliancy of the public
houses ; I had never before seen such miles of plate-
glass and such blazing gas chandeliers in any part of
America. The four-wheeled cabs and hansoms were
exactly of the type of the present day, except for
the addition of rubber tyres now.
Next morning I was curious to discover what an
English breakfast was like. Before ordering, I
watched other guests settling down to that meal.
I was interested to find that there was no variation
in the order given — coffee (or tea), with toast, bacon
and eggs, was the cry of each. The eggs were
brought in either poached on the bacon, or in egg-
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cups, with the shells unbroken, not broken into a
glass as was the invariable practice in America. I
was astonished to see the egg thus eaten out of the
eggshell. On asking for ice water, I was informed
"no ice supplied."
That beverage is an absolute essential in every
part of the United States, and is immediately served
at each meal — a jug of ice water is always sent
to your hotel bedroom in answer to the first bell
you ring. In contrast with the urgent thirst
habit which prevails in America, one ceases to be
thirsty in England, and rarely cares to drink except
with meals. I doubt if the average Englishman
drinks a gallon of water, pure and simple, in a whole
year. I am not able to give the reason, but pos-
sibly the moisture of the climate allays thirst. An
American lady, the wife of an Englishman, told me
this year [1905] that her father could not be persuaded
to visit England because he had heard that ice water
was never served in hotels unless expressly ordered,
and the ice charged for as an " extra."
Iced champagne is an American innovation ; no
one in England served wine iced twenty years ago.
I have known Americans decline iced champagne
during this period as " not English." To-day this
is the universal custom.
Another surprise was the sideboard, on which were
placed huge joints of cold meats of every kind, and
I noticed that some of the guests, after eating their
eggs and bacon, finished up with a slice of cold meat,
either by helping themselves, or pointing out to the
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carver the particular cut which they wanted. There
was also oatmeal porridge for all who liked. Of
bread there were only two kinds — white and brown ;
while in America there were never fewer than four
or five, including hot biscuits and Johnny cake, and,
in the winter months, there would be buckwheat cakes
and fried hominy. I soon followed the lead set me,
and ordered bacon and eggs. I am bound to say I
liked the breakfast, and, so far as breakfast food is
concerned, became an Englishman at once, and have
remained one.
I sauntered early out, and found my way to West-
minster, looking with strange delight on the Abbey,
the Houses of Parliament, and the Bridge. On this
walk I learned my first lesson as to the difference
of dress on each side of the Atlantic. I was wearing
a soft-felt hat and a military cloak, instead of a top
or stiff - brimmed hat, and a tight - fitting topcoat.
People eyed me curiously, and made comments.
We attended the Tabernacle at Newington Butts
for morning service, and were able to hear the simple
oratory of the Rev. Charles Spurgeon, and were thrilled
with the force of delivery which he displayed. There
was not the slightest apparent attempt to produce
a studied effect.
In proof of the immense popularity of this preacher,
30,000 copies of his sermons were sold weekly during
his lifetime; and in 1905 20,000 copies of his books
and sermons were still sold every week.
In the evening I went to hear the Rev. J. M.
Bellew at Bloomsbury Chapel, who had a consider-
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able reputation at the time as a pulpit orator ; but I
considered that Spurgeon had by far the better pulpit
manner, and was a more interesting preacher.
As soon as the shops were opened on Monday
morning I bought a bowler hat and topcoat, and
found that my appearance did not attract any further
special attention.
Mr Van Duzer and I proceeded early to his ware-
house in Hoi born. I carefully went through the
books, and at the end of a week he asked me my
opinion. I replied : " If it is your pleasure I will
complete the provisional agreement as originally con-
templated." This was done, and at the end of thirty
days I was left in full charge of the business. Mr
Van Duzer then gave me full freedom of action to
conduct an active advertising campaign, and soon
after he sailed for New York.
Mrs Richards and our daughter Pearl joined me
three months later.
At the end of two years I had acquired a partner-
ship, with a-third interest in profits : that was accord-
ing to the agreement at the start, and was contingent
upon certain results being accomplished.
The style of the firm now became Van Duzer
and Richards.
That people in London are quick to discern differ-
ences in dress was again amusingly illustrated by a little
adventure Mrs Richards and I had. At Easter 1868
we paid a visit to the famous exhibition of Madame
Tussaud, then located in the Portman Rooms, Baker
Street. There was an enormous crowd of visitors,
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and I noticed that, as we passed along, people pointed
and talked, and there was a good deal of laughing.
I did not suspect at first that we were the object
of their curiosity. But the interest and excitement
continued from room to room, so I asked the door-
keeper what was exciting the curiosity and mirth
of the people. He at once replied: "The lady is
wearing a green veil over her hat and face, which,
in London, is just equivalent to shaking a red rag
in the face of a bull, and suggests that you are members
of the Fenian Association." This was about the time
of the Fenian outbreak in London ; and we decided
to retire from the building, for fear of provoking
something more serious.
I must not omit to mention the little coffee shops on
some of the thoroughfares, where I saw, for the first
time, food being cooked in the front window in plain
sight, the food emitting supposed savoury odours
likely to whet the edge of one's appetite. I refer to
the fried fish and cook shops, in which fried fish, eels,
pork chops and onions, sausages and potatoes, and
batter pudding, were thus exhibited, simmering in
hot grease. Little tin labels would be displayed on
the several metal dishes inscribed as follows : —
" Sausage and Plain, 2d. Sausage and Chips,
3d." etc. etc. — the "plain" and "chips" meaning
potatoes baked or fried. Then there were the shops
for "cooked meats," where a carver in white apron
and cap was waiting to serve customers with slices of
cold ham, beef and tongue — all sold by weight. This
enabled one to take home to his own table cooked and
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carved meat, just as one would call at the baker's
for a loaf of bread or cake. Many small families,
having limited cooking arrangements, send out joints
of meat and meat-pies, also puddings and tarts, pre-
pared for the oven in their own pans and basins,
to be baked at the baker's shop, a small fee being
charged. I also came across the " Muffin and
Crumpet " man canvassing in residential streets in
London, attracting attention by ringing at intervals
a little " tea-bell," and shouting " Hot Muffins and
Crumpets ! " The foregoing are London institutions
which exist to-day. All were new and strange to
me.
In Boston, Mass., many families send out to the
public baker the pots of beans and brown bread, to be
baked for their standard Sunday morning breakfast.
I had to come to London to see milk served at
residences by a milkman or woman, walking, wearing a
wooden yoke on the shoulders, with an eight-gallon tin
can suspended from each end — the costume of the
milkman being the old-fashioned flowing white cotton
smock, with the collar and cuff and shoulder portion
gathered in pleats. Then there were to be seen goats
and asses led about to residences of certain customers,
and a half pint or more milked direct from the
creatures — meaning "the real thing; no adulteration."
This was for delicate infants, and prescribed by the
family doctor.
In London I first saw the Royal Arms, with
the words " By Special Appointment," emblazoned
over the shop entrances of those holding Royal
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Warrants. I was not prepared to see, but I did
see in Portland Road, the following : — " Purveyor of
Asses' Milk to the Royal Family."
I soon observed the friendly terms existing between
the London omnibus driver and conductor, who
always address each other as " Bill." If Driver
" Bill " wished to communicate with Conductor " Bill,"
he swishes the lash of his whip to the rear of the bus,
and lightly touches " Bill," who stands mounted on the
" monkey-board." This " board " has been abandoned
since the introduction upon all London omnibuses of
the spiral staircase to the roof in place of a ladder, and
"garden-seats" in place of the old " knife -board." Now
all passengers sit facing the horses instead of sideways.
The box-seats alongside of the driver are also with-
drawn. Conductor "Bill" mounts the steps, and
shouts : " I say, Bill." These messages to and fro are
not always intelligible to the passenger. I heard an
amusing explanation given by the driver to a passenger
on the following message being shouted to him : —
" Woman on horseback." Whereupon the driver gave
the whip to his steeds. " What does he mean?" said
the passenger. "Well you see, sir, that lidy who just
got down gave Bill a half-a-sovering for a sixpence."
Taking up the business of an omnibus driver would
seem to be a life appointment in London ; and once
in the front seat, a driver very rarely abandons the
reins again. In the old style of bus there were
two seats provided on each side of the driver for
passengers, and these were always regarded by
strangers as the best seats for viewing London, as
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well as hearing the most amusing accounts of men,
women, and things from the driver. An American
visitor in such a position is always impressed by the
pleasant chatter which he hears, and the entire
absence of oaths, or any kind of swearing. The
drivers are very fond of chaffing one another as they
draw up side by side in a block ; or they make un-
pleasant remarks about some fellow-driver's handling of
the reins. As the fashion of the bus changes, so will
the character of the language used. Thus one would
say : " Hallo ! old Garden Roller ! " — being a refer-
ence to the garden-seats with which all the busses
are fitted. The reply would probably be: " Oo yer
getting at ? " or " Wodder you think ? " An angry ex-
pression which I have often heard is : " Cum orf hit!"
While others expressive of contempt have been : "'E
ain't no class ! " and " Corl 'im a gent ! "
Our first home in London was a furnished house
near Kennington Gate, and here we resided until
January 1869. In 1870 I took the lease of a house
in Upper Woburn Place, Tavistock Square, for a
dwelling. During our residence here three sons were
born : Edward Cowles, in 1870, who died in his second
year ; John Morgan, and Nelson.
During the first three or four years of our residence
in London we made few English acquaintances, but
some of our American friends and relatives were
frequently passing through London, and called. I
gave my whole time, early and late, to the work, in
which I was greatly interested.
Almost the first American visitor to come was Mr
40
With John Bull and Jonathan
Brent Good, a member of the firm of Demas Barnes
and Co. He spent two or three weeks in London.
Since that visit Mr Good has crossed the Atlantic
sixty times, and has been a constant visitor, up to
the present year. We have had a most happy
social and business association for many years. In
1872 Mr and Mrs Demas Barnes came over to
England on their first visit, when he renewed a
proposition previously made in several letters, that
I should rejoin him in business in New York.
I had quite a flood of visitors in 1873, which in-
cluded Mr and Mrs Barnes once more. This year,
soon after the death of our son, Mrs Van Duzer invited
my wife, Pearl, and myself to pay them a visit in New
York, which we accepted, this being our first sight
of America since 1867-8.
The London business continued to improve from
year to year, and about 1875, as the result of negotia-
tions with Mr Van Duzer, I renounced my interest
in the goodwill and partnership upon certain terms ;
and taking newly-built premises at the corner of
Great Russell Street and Charlotte Street, Blooms-
bury, called Great Russell Buildings, began business
in my own name.
When I first began to advertise in England, any
novelty in the way of presenting one's business was
then, as now, regarded as desirable, and I was desirous
of making an experiment which I had some con-
fidence would be successful. This was soon after
the death of Artemus Ward, the American humorist
who had contributed a series of articles to Punch,
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which were afterwards collected in a small volume,
published by Mr J. Camden Hotten of Piccadilly.
I wrote to Mr Hotten, and asked permission to
make extracts from some of Artemus Ward's articles
as an advertisement pamphlet, and explained that
I wanted to cut freely from the chapters, and inter-
leave the same with advertisements of the proprietary
articles in which I was interested. His reply to
my letter was in the following words : — " You have
my hearty consent to do exactly what you have
stated in your letter." Upon this I proceeded, and
possibly exceeded what Mr Hotten intended. I
printed two whole chapters of Artemus Ward — his
visit to the British Museum and to the Tower of
London — and also gave extracts from several of the
other articles. I went to press with the pamphlet
to the extent of over 100,000 copies, which I pro-
ceeded to distribute amongst the public. To my
surprise, within a week of issue I received a letter
from the solicitors of Mr Hotten, calling upon me
for damages, and insisting that I should immediately
withdraw the pamphlet from circulation. After a
vain attempt to see Mr Hotten I compromised the
matter by paying ^50 as damages and destroying
such of the pamphlets as had not been circulated.
Mr Hotten founded these proceedings upon the fact
that, while I asked only for permission to make ex-
tracts, what I had really done was to quote two
entire chapters. Since then I have acted more
cautiously.
Within a year after this incident I was waited
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upon by a firm of advertising agents, who made
proposals to me for a certain space in a selected
list of English, Irish, and Scottish papers, the con-
dition of acceptance being that there was to be a
uniform price throughout all the papers. The posi-
tion of each advertisement was clearly stated, and
the space they were to occupy, and a contract em-
bodying these points was drawn up and signed.
At the end of the quarter, on presenting their account,
I found that they had inserted the advertisements
in all of the cheap and unimportant papers, and had
omitted to do so in papers named of large circulation
and important standing. The price agreed upon
being an average one, I considered that I was right
in refusing to pay until the advertisements had ap-
peared in each of the mediums agreed upon, a clause
being inserted in my agreement to this effect, and
that there should be no exemption unless publication
of that particular newspaper had ceased. I was
immediately served with a writ, and by representing
I was a stranger, and likely to leave the country,
a lien was placed on my banking account. The
manager of the London and Westminster Bank told
me what had taken place, but courteously informed
me that he would, nevertheless, continue to honour
my cheques. By giving bonds, however, I had the
order removed within twenty-four hours. At the
trial of the action the matter was referred by the
judge for examination of the papers, and eventually
I was ordered to pay contract price for every paper
in which the advertisement appeared, notwithstanding
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With John Bull and Jonathan
the proviso that the appearance in any one was de-
pendent upon the same advertisement appearing in
all, which, the referee held, was what the plaintiff
could not possibly carry out. I therefore paid con-
tract price for what was inserted, and the law costs.
These were the only two instances which occurred
in my advertising career, during thirty-eight years,
in which I had any dispute with an owner of a
copyright, or an advertising agent.
This firm of agents were quite unknown by adver-
tisers, and ceased to exist more than thirty years ago.
My relations with advertising agents in England have
been of the most satisfactory character. My first
business was done through Mr Richard Crossley in
1867. On his death, two years later, his son, Mr
Charles R. Crossley, succeeded him — a man of my
own age ; and Messrs Crossley & Co. have placed
the chief part of my newspaper advertising to this
day.
My experience has been that it is unwise to yield
to any temptation in the way of very low prices, and
offers of exceptional advantages, offered by firms
whose standing will not bear the test of careful refer-
ences and inquiry : in the case of agents with small
capital, and printers with insufficient means, the result
is nearly always disappointing. The least delay in
payment to the papers causes the advertisement to be
left out by the publisher ; and in printing, if workman-
ship and paper are not up to sample and agreement,
they are unable to bear the loss involved by a return
of goods, and beg for mercy.
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The very reasonable practice of the advertiser, to
turn to good account any event of the day, whereby
to bring into further notice any speciality, has amus-
ing illustration in September 1905 at the conclusion of
the Treaty of Portsmouth between Russia and Japan.
The pen manufacturers from every corner of the earth
addressed samples of their wares to the Plenipotenti-
aries, each hoping that his particular handiwork might
be immortalised as the pen that was mightier than the
Far Eastern sword. High diplomacy has happily
proved equal to the task of contriving a way out of
the difficulty by using QUILLS.
45
CHAPTER IV
Proprietary Business and Advertising — English Editors and their Ad-
vertising Columns — Sale of Plantation Bitters — A Cute American
— River Scenery — A Puzzling Advertisement — Advertising Fire-
works—Taxing Proprietary Articles — Pirating English Medicines
— A New Fascination — Mr Lever's View — United States for
Machinery — England for Cabinet Work — American Boots and
Shoes.
To more clearly explain the nature of the business
which I had surrendered, and was now taking up
on my own account, I should state that this was
what is known as a Proprietary one — the results of
which depended upon the intrinsic merit of the article,
real usefulness, and publicity. My chief training in
the United States was the preparation of advertise-
ments, and the issue of advertisement literature
as belonged to the publication department of such a
business. Following out this experience, I set to
work in London on a poster for wall space, and
devised the first sixteen-sheet double demy poster
ever seen in England in connection with a proprietary
article. My next work was to endeavour to bring
London and Provincial newspapers to allow display
advertisements such as were appearing in American
journals, and to give further facilities to large
advertisers. This was a difficult task, and a sad
disappointment, so strongly were the newspaper pro-
prietors ensconced behind the barriers of what they
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considered to be the proper and seemly method of
English advertising. The Illustrated London News
was the first to grant the privilege of inserting an
illustrated advertisement with blocks. No daily paper
would at that time accept "copy" which they did
not first edit, and in some important papers no ad-
vertisement was accepted without prepayment being
made. In The Times the form of setting up an
advertisement was subject to many restrictions. A
repetition of the same words line after line would
not be received, but the regulation was insisted upon
that each such line should be followed by explana-
tory matter. No two lines exactly alike could ap-
pear in any advertisement, even though a column in
length, and costing ^20 per insertion. In illustra-
tion, if you wanted a column advertisement about
cocoa, as soon as the word appeared in a line there
must follow different explanatory or descriptive words,
as " Grateful, Comforting." Nothing whatever in
the way of display was allowable. Enormous changes
have occurred since this time, as The Times> as well
as all other London journals, morning and evening,
now admit display blocks of the largest and boldest
character, and know their value. The old-fashioned
system was regulated by the conservative taste of
the editor ; and not with a view to fall in with the
wishes of the advertiser. Now that policy is exactly
reversed. The wishes of the advertiser regulate the
character of the display made in the advertising
columns. In conjunction with another American
firm I believe I was the first to engage a full ad-
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With John Bull and Jonathan
vertisement column in a single issue of a London
daily, and a whole back page of several London
weeklies. I do remember that Messrs Pears, Bryant
and May, and Epps did occupy the back pages of Punch
occasionally. This was no novelty in the United
States at that day, nor is this now in England. Full
pages in both dailies and weeklies are in constant
evidence.
A great deal depends upon the way in which an
article is advertised whether the object desired is
attained. An amusing illustration of this came under
my own notice. A friend lost his umbrella at church,
and advertised in the usual way, saying the finder
would be rewarded ; but this was quite a failure : the
umbrella was not forthcoming. Taking the advice
of a journalist, he advertised again, but in a different
form. The new advertisement read as follows: — " If
the gentleman who was seen to take a silver-handled
umbrella from St Church on Sunday attaches
any value to the Christian character he has hitherto
borne, he will return the article immediately to No.
Street. He is known." Within three days
twelve umbrellas were sent to his house, several with
notes — apologising for the inadvertence.
Before the early seventies, in the United States,
posters in colours or of large dimensions were almost
unknown, and the only coloured posters which I can
remember were those issued by the managers of
circus companies. Commercial posters rarely ex-
ceeded a two-sheet double demy, with words in black
letters on a white ground. There was then no system
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of protected stations, and posting was done with the
knowledge that possibly the poster would be covered
up within twenty - four hours. Posting was then
usually done at night, to avoid the possibility of
encountering an opponent.
A common form of posting in the United States
was called " Gutter Snipes." These were composed
of narrow strips of paper, from two to three feet in
length, which would be found in a morning lining the
gutters the entire length of Broadway from the
Water-works to the Battery.
The Bill posters of England at that time were
greatly in advance of those practising in the United
States. The " Snipes " in the gutter would probably
disappear about midday ; but before that hour every
foot passenger, and everyone riding along the
thoroughfare, would have read, and remembered
what was advertised.
London hoardings at the present day exhibit picture
posters which have been designed by many of the
most eminent painters of the day, including a number
of Royal Academicians ; at the same time, the fact
should be borne in mind that these pictures were
not originally intended for advertisements. Many of
the large protected hoardings in London thorough-
fares measure from 300 to 400 feet in length. In
fact, as soon as ever a new building site is taken, or
a street improvement is entered upon, an advertise-
ment contractor will at once secure the hoarding
space to let to advertisers ; and the contract is usually
based upon a fixed price per sheet per week.
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" Art " in advertising is, therefore, a correct expres-
sion to use in describing the artistic work carried out
in the advertisements which cover street hoardings.
The showcards also which are seen in shop windows
bear the hall mark of high artistic merit. I have
never seen in the United States, or in any city upon
the Continent, any posters which can compare with
the artistic elegance of those which are displayed
upon hoardings in the streets of the metropolis.
This survey also includes shop windows, hotel walls,
omnibuses, street cars, railway approaches, and rail-
way stations. The art of designing a poster is worthy
of the highest gifts of a modern painter.
Bill-posting contractors of the present day now form
an important section of the advertising trade, and
have a very large capital invested in the business.
The income derived by omnibus and tramway
companies from their advertising spaces forms a
large part of their revenue, and swells the dividends
paid to the shareholders.
At the present moment search is being made for
some metal other than iron for display signs which
would be lighter for the omnibuses to carry.
In the street Omnibus traffic there is room for great
improvement in the indication of routes which they
carry on their sides. London is probably the only
city in the world which gives the names of public-
houses as the starting - places and termini of these
public vehicles : the Angel, Mother Red Cap,
Elephant and Castle, and Swiss Cottage are only a
few which may be quoted as examples in point.
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With John Bull and Jonathan
Much amusement is often enjoyed by strangers at
hearing the manner in which conductors shout out
the names of well-known places : thus the Bank is
always " Benk," Westminster is "Minster" or
"Habbey," and Victoria Station never anything
else but " Toria."
As to the value of Advertising, an interesting illus-
tration recurs to mind. When in the service of
Demas Barnes & Co. I was among other things
advertising and selling " Plantation Bitters," which
is a specific for fever, ague, and other ills arising
from climatic influences. I was in Boston at the
time, and, having full liberty in the matter of adver-
tising, I ordered column and half-column advertise-
ments in all the principal daily and weekly papers
in the city, and the neighbourhood, This was kept
up for a month, and I remained on the spot to watch
the result, all the time canvassing the trade to obtain
orders. At the end of the month I was so discouraged
by what orders came in that I wrote to Mr Barnes,
telling him that, as all my previous experiences ap-
peared to be contradicted by orders in this case, I was
of opinion that the article advertised was not likely to
be successful " Down East," and suggested that I
should cease advertising. This happened to be in
the beginning of July, and the answer I received from
Mr Barnes was practically in the following words : —
' You will please renew the advertisements, taking
double the amount of space in every medium now
under contract in Boston. Please also arrange with
the authorities having charge of the illuminations on
With John Bull and Jonathan
the evening of Independence Day on Boston Common,
to be allowed to display three large pieces containing
the name of the article you are advertising, at an
expense of ^150 to ^200. I am in no way dis-
couraged by what you have accomplished. In about
four weeks the State of Massachusetts will require
'Plantation Bitters.'"
His prediction was absolutely correct, and I was
able before the month was out to take important
orders from all the leading houses in the trade ; and
was welcomed by certain establishments where a
month previously I had almost had the door closed
in my face.
This article was first largely advertised throughout
the United States in the fall of 1861, and rapidly
became the success of the day, because of the enormous
amount of placarding given to the cabalistic characters
"S — T — 1860 — X," which was a description of the
medicine. Those strange letters and figures stared
upon the people from wall and fence and tree, in
every leading town throughout the United States.
They were painted on the rocks of the Hudson River
to such an extent that the attention of the Legislature
was drawn to the fact, and a law was passed to
prevent the further disfigurement of river scenery.
Naturally, comment and inquiry arose, and people
were invited to make guesses as to what the letters
and figures meant. The result was that newspapers
teemed with attempted solutions, some of which were
very amusing. Thus one was " Started Trade in
1860 with $10," but no one hit upon the correct
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solution. The fact was that the basis of Plantation
Bitters was " St Croix Rum," and the casks in which
this rum was imported were marked " S — T " for
"Saint"; then the year of importation 1860 — and
then " X," the last letter of the word " Croix " — which
meant that it was St Croix Rum of the vintage of
1860. That was a device of Mr Barnes to advertise
the mixture and puzzle the people.
No article at that period ever received the same
amount of publicity and achieved so gigantic a sale.
"Plantation Bitters" was billed in the Sutlers' de-
partments in all the armies of the North, and implicit
faith grew up in the specific. The outlay on advertis-
ing was enormous, but the results were prodigious.
In a single year the sale ran up to thousands of
dozens. The Bitters were placed in corrugated dark
amber glass bottles, resembling the old plantation
log cabin ; and the labels and printed matter sur-
rounding the bottles were the special work of
Mr Barnes. In fact, every word which was written,
every advertisement used, and every showcard pro-
duced, were under his direction, or suggested and
revised by him. This illustrates the thoroughness
with which he entered into the business which fell
into his hands.
The Government of the United States was not
slow to appreciate the importance of the trade which
had grown up in the proprietary medicines, and during
the Civil War a stamp tax was levied on all advertised
medicines which produced a large income, and was
continued until 1884. In that year a committee [of
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which Mr Brent Good, of the firm of Demas Barnes,
was a member] succeeded in inducing the Congress
to abolish the impost ; but a similar tax was imposed
during the Spanish War, which was abolished when
the campaign terminated. All proprietary articles,
as well as perfumery, were included in the list of
articles so taxed.
Proprietors were allowed, contrary to English
regulations, to get up designs of their own for
stamp duty, which, of course, had to be adapted to
the size of the article sold. The stamp used by the
firm of Messrs Demas Barnes bore his own portrait,
names of the various articles controlled, and was
printed on bank-note paper, being engraved by the
American Bank-note Company. The Government
received a fee of 1000 dollars (^200) for engrav-
ing the plate, but made no charge for printing.
Many popular English medicines were imitated
and sold in the United States at this time, having
a forged English stamp thereon. I personally called
the attention of the Board of Inland Revenue at
Somerset House to this fact, and furnished them
with examples of the counterfeits so used. The
reply I received was that the matter did not concern
the English Board of Revenue ; that if the pro-
prietors of such forged articles were interested they
should take action, and the Board would thereby be
protected. One medicine so pirated was Holloway's
Ointment and Pills. The sale became very large, and
the original proprietor has now lost his sole control
of the copyright in America.
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In the United States there is no prejudice against
the advertising of medicines ; but at one time, in
England, there was an apparent misconception as to
the value of proprietary articles which are advertised ;
many holding the opinion that the advertisement
sells the article, and not the merit of the medicine.
Those who have been engaged in advertising
campaigns know that nothing is more wasteful, or
would lead more quickly to financial ruin, than a
large expenditure upon a worthless article. No
proprietary article has any lasting value, nor en-
riches the inventor, unless possessing undoubted
merit, and which, in a marked degree, accomplishes
the purpose stated. No single purchase would repay
the proprietor of an article, but the renewed
purchases after use ; and the recommendation of
those who have bought once, creates the demand,
and ensures success. This is the history of every
patent medicine and proprietary article of renown
in the United States and Great Britain.
Out of the thousands and tens of thousands of
proprietary articles issued in different parts of the
world, there are said to be really less than 1000
which are successful ; and possibly those upon which
great fortunes have been made may be counted
upon the fingers of both hands.
The method of judging the value of a new
invention is, having made a certain outlay on
advertising, to mark the indications of results in
various directions, and if they are not up to a
particular standard, then the result is not satis-
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factory — either the public do not require the article,
or the advertising has not been properly arranged.
Misplaced efforts of the latter class would enrich the
newspaper proprietor and printer, but beggar the
owner of the article. Things which are most largely
advertised are usually well worth buying.
An expert would undertake to definitely pronounce
as to the success or failure of any article advertised
provided the following facts were submitted to him : —
Evidence as to the actual merits ; the advertisement
which is being placed ; the extent of advertising ; the
papers used ; the districts covered ; the actual amount
of money expended during the first three months ;
a correct list of each sale effected ; and the total of
actual sales at the end of three months. Though
the result might appear to contradict every possibility
of success, an expert would not be led to any false
conclusion. I should be glad if advertising could be
reduced to an exact science.
After an experience of over fifty years I consider
that advertising as a profession is the most fascinat-
ing form of speculation in existence. Instead of
scouring the columns of the morning paper for the
latest Stock Exchange news, or the final betting, you
can speculate upon the deliveries from the postman's
bag, and sum up the result of your advertising.
These always vary in their character, and are never
for two days alike. In the experience of many
advertisers the result for a week may turn out so
small that one is almost driven to the conclusion
that the public believed one had retired from
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business, and yet on the eighth day an avalanche
of orders may descend upon the firm. Occasionally,
after doubling and trebling the advertisement orders,
the first month's returns would suggest that you
were killing the article, and yet after that the harvest
comes — perhaps.
I remember a good story told upon one occasion
by Mr W. H. Lever of Sunlight Soap fame. After
an enormous struggle with the public by advertising,
Mr Lever has landed himself at Port Sunlight,
probably the most successful man of the day in this
particular line of business. Soon after commencing
his advertising scheme, and occupying large spaces
in the newspapers, which were attracting much
attention and with satisfactory results, he found upon
his counting-house desk one morning, a telegram
signed with a name he did not recognise, asking
him for half-an-hour's interview the next day, as
he wished to consult him upon a very important
question. The request was so unique that he
resolved to give the man an interview, and he
replied in the affirmative, fixing the hour of one
the next day.
Mr Lever was then in the habit of occupying a
workman's cottage, near the works for his own
convenience, during the week, his private residence
being at Bolton ; and he and his wife spent from
Monday to Friday in the cottage at Port Sunlight.
This place was only partly furnished. The draw-
ing-room windows were fitted with curtains to make
people believe that the room was occupied, but was
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used as a receptacle for empty boxes. The only
furnished rooms were the breakfast-room, a bedroom,
and the servant's room. At one o'clock Mr Lever
went to the cottage for lunch, and in the course of
the meal the door bell rang, and the mysterious
stranger was announced. He was at once shown
into the drawing-room, amongst the empty packing-
cases, and word was given that Mr Lever would
see him in a few moments. After apologising
for keeping him waiting, Mr Lever invited him
to state as briefly as possible what his business was.
The stranger had a very melancholy expression on
his face, and evidently the appearance of the drawing-
room had caused this, as he had only a packing-
case to sit upon. In reply he managed to blurt out
this sentence : "Mr Lever, how soon after a man
begins to advertise ought he to expect handsome
results? I have been advertising now for six
months, and nothing has happened, except a demand
from the printer and the newspaper, for payments
of their bills." Treating the question half seriously,
and to have another jest with him, Mr Lever replied :
" We have been advertising for a very considerable
time ; look around this room and see the condition
we are in, and we are still waiting for orders to
come." The effect of his reply was of so crushing
a nature that Mr Lever took pity on his visitor,
and added: "After all, I cannot give you any data.
If you have a good article, go on advertising, ad-
vertising, advertising ; printing, printing, printing ;
and paying, paying, paying."
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To make a comparison of the effect of advertising
in the United States and Great Britain is very diffi-
cult. Great Britain had a population of 41,609,091
souls in 1901, and possesses 9500 newspapers,
besides journals and magazines, in which to advertise.
The United States contained a population of
76,000,000 souls in 1900, and 23,265 newspapers.
I consider that advertising in Great Britain should
produce as prompt and satisfactory results, in pro-
portion, as in the United States.
With regard to the advertising of an English
article in the United States, or an American article
in England, many points have to be considered.
After an experience of nearly forty years, and
possessing exact knowledge with regard to all
American articles introduced into this country, either
by means of advertising or other processes, I am
convinced that no American article can succeed
in Great Britain in any direct competition with an
English article of the same character, quality, and
price. The American articles which have succeeded
in Great Britain are not great in number, and in
every instance with which I am acquainted have
contained some element of originality and superiority
which contrasted favourably for them with the
English article, or were entirely new in idea and
purpose.
Take, for example, American furniture, which has
been largely imported into this country on account
of cheapness. With the exception of roll-top desks,
letter-file cabinets, and rocking-chairs — all of which
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were novel and also new ideas — nothing has suc-
ceeded. Advertising American sideboards, sofas,
and the like have been condemned as dear at any
price, and their exportation has yielded a loss to
the shippers. The reason for this is that they
could not compare, in quality and finish, even with
the cheapest British-made articles. American furni-
ture is glued where it ought to be morticed, and
nailed where screws should be used, and nothing
whatever carefully finished, except the portion visible
to the eye. The wrong side of any piece of furniture
is seldom even planed, and shows plainly the teeth
of the saw.
A surprising success, however, has been made in
this country with American boots and shoes. This
may seem contradictory to my statement already
made about the superiority of English products.
The machinery which is employed in boot and shoe
making by all the large manufacturers in Great
Britain is of American invention. The machine
boot-making industry in the United States is
very large and important, and the Americans, when
they discovered that English boots were being made
with the help of American machinery, attempted
to sell their completed footgear in this country.
At first the experiment was tried in a very small
way ; but the success was immediate and enormous,
and for the reason that much neater shaped
boots and shoes, and better-fitting articles, were
produced. There is no longer any necessity for
a person in this country, however unshapely the
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natural foot may be, to imagine that he cannot be
fitted with ready - made boots. The American
Company supplies every size of boot and shoe, with
such minute gradations that "made to order" is no
longer necessary. The best-fitting and best- working
boots and shoes now worn in England are of
American make.
Since writing the foregoing, I find that the English
Consul at Boston, Mass., enters his protest in his
annual report (1904) against the large importation
of American boots into England. " That England
should import in one year from Boston alone," he
says, " 5 30,01 5 pairs of boots and shoes, of a value
of ,£239,097, whilst Scotland took 59,334 pairs,
valued ,£26,526, and Ireland 82,549 pairs, of a value
of £"27,446, is a matter for the consideration of the
British shoe industry. Why cannot this demand
be supplied by British manufacturers?"
American labour - saving inventions have always
been successful in England, either as applied to
domestic use, tools for mechanics, printing processes,
or agricultural machinery. American sweets, canned
fruits, vegetables, salmon, have had an enormous
sale.
An American visiting England for the first time
is always impressed with the admirable quality and
handsome finish of every article of furniture, from the
Windsor kitchen chair to the most delicate inlaid cab-
inets, ornamental tables, or secretaires. In the matter
of sideboards, no country in the world can produce such
examples of the beautiful as the early English side-
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board and cabinet— and the history of English furni-
ture will prove this.
On my first visit to The Times offices, when I was
courteously shown over the premises by Mr Moberly
Bell, opening the door of the machinery department,
with a wave of the hand he exclaimed : " All
American ! "
The growth and improvement in regard to news-
papers during the period under review are pheno-
menal. The only London evening newspaper in 1867
and 1870 was The Echo, which was the first to be
brought out at the price of a halfpenny. There was
a serious struggle for existence at first, and the
strongest possibility of a failure, until Mr Albert
Grant came to the rescue. At that time he was
considered a financial king, and the capital he ad-
vanced caused a rapid rise in the circulation of the
paper until a position was secured. After a fitful
life The Echo ceased publication this year — 1905.
There are in London to-day four evening penny
papers, and three halfpenny papers, and all have
important circulations. There are six halfpenny
daily papers, all well supported, both as to circulation
and advertisement income. The Daily Mail leads
the way. The Express, Leader, Chronicle, Daily
News have more recently entered the field, the last
two being penny papers for many years previously.
Another class of publication has come into being
during the last ten or fifteen years with which the
advertiser has to reckon, and with advantage to him-
self and the publisher. The circulation of such penny
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journals as Tit - Bits, Answers, M.A.P., T. P's
Weekly, and others, have become enormous, and
command the highest rates for advertisements. The
popularity of this class of publication seems boundless.
Mr T. P. O'Connor, M.P., was the founder of, and
is the editor of, both M.A.P. and T. P.'s Weekly, and
has turned to most profitable account his remarkable
journalistic genius and his wealth of ideas in Mainly
About People (M.A.P.}. The amount of literary
work Mr O'Connor can accomplish week by week,
and yet give attention to his Parliamentary duties,
is one of the marvels of English journalism and
authorship. Mr O'Connor is an Irishman who has
had an American experience and training — and then,
too, he has married an American lady. Mrs O'Connor
has won distinction in many branches of journalism,
and as author-actress as well. As a reader of the
plantation negro dialect she is without a rival. I had
the pleasure of hearing her read from Thomas Nelson
Page's " Massa Chan," at the residence of the late
Dr Parker at Hampstead, on the occasion of a large
reception given to Henry Ward Beecher during his
last visit to England. The praise she received upon
that occasion would have delighted the author. All
her work has been taken up and accomplished from
pure love, and as recreation and pastime.
In illustrated journalism in 1867 The Illustrated
London News had no rival. On the breaking out
of the Franco-German War the Graphic appeared,
and soon became a popular success. Then came
Black and White, The Pictorial World, the several
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illustrated ladies' papers, The Sketch ; and, more re-
cently, we have the Sphere and Taller, both of the
latter under the wise editorship and direction of Mr
Clement Shorter, than whom there is no more accom-
plished and able editor of illustrated journalism living.
Mr Shorter had previously the editorial management
of the Illustrated London News, the proprietors of
which started The Sketch, which was projected by
him. He, therefore, took up the The Sphere and
Taller with ripe experience. Many said, as new illus-
trated papers appeared, "they cannot live"; "there
is no field or demand for another." The actual ex-
perience is that, while nominally they are rivals, they
really assist each other. The invention of the "pro-
cess block," by which means photographs can be
reproduced, has so enlarged the facilities for accurate
illustration that the public demand is insatiable for
views, and descriptions of events, places, and peoples,
that all these papers have very large and important
circulations, and vie with each other to produce the
best and most for the "nimble sixpence." Thousands
of families subscribe to three and four of these papers
weekly. The growth and extension of the monthly
magazines and reviews, religious and class weeklies
of every description, have also advanced with giant
strides during the last fifteen years.
Of American daily newspapers, the price is usually
two cents, or five cents for special Sunday editions.
The Sunday editions of American newspapers issued
in chief cities are gigantic collections of news and
literary matter, illustrations and advertisements.
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I recently spread upon the floor the separate sheets
of a New York Sunday World, and found by measure-
ment that it covered 363 square feet, and, of course,
printed upon both sides — making an issue of 528
columns of 18 inches each.
Sunday editions of The London Daily Telegraph
and Daily Mail were attempted a few years ago,
but were discontinued after a very short run in
answer to adverse public opinion.
The London newspapers are themselves large
advertisers. " Largest circulation in the world " is
a phrase to be seen on huge posters everywhere.
They also take up important spaces in the advertis-
ing columns of their contemporaries when wishing
to attract attention to some new feature of their
publication.
The provincial press of Great Britain rivals London
in the enterprise and importance of its daily news-
papers. In great centres — like Liverpool, Birming-
ham, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leeds,
Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin, etc. —
papers are issued of the highest class, and cannot
be ignored in any advertising campaign. Nearly all
have offices in London, with private wires and tele-
phones connecting with headquarters, and are as con-
venient of approach for business and news purposes
as though visited in the towns where they are
published.
CHAPTER V
My New Business — The First Introduction of American Cigarettes and
Smoking Tobacco into England — The Richmond Gem — The
Quaker and the Cigarette — Forcing the British Sale — A Great
Tobacco Combination— Removal to Holborn Viaduct— Interesting
Neighbourhood — The Smithfield Martyrs — Here John Bunyan
died — Burial-place of Captain John Smith — Bad Debts — Street
Language — Forms of Address — English Proprietary Articles in
the United States— Advanced Pharmacy— The Diamond Match
Company.
AFTER the dissolution of partnership with Mr Van
Duzer I commenced business on my own account in
April 1876 with one of the proprietary articles
formerly owned by Van Duzer & Richards, which
came to me in the course of settlement, and to this
article was shortly afterwards added others. I
also became the purchasing agent in London of all
English goods for the firm of John F. Henry & Co.
of New York ; and in 1877 I undertook the sale and
exclusive agency for Great Britain and the British
colonies of J. F. Allen & Co., the Virginia manu-
facturers of American cigarettes and smoking tobaccos,
At that time there was not a single American cigar-
ette sold in this country, so I am responsible foi
the introduction to this country of American cigarettes,
and had for nearly ten years the entire control of the
product of Messrs Allen & Ginter, and for a con-
siderable period the branch of Messrs J. R. Duke
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and Co. Although considerable advertising was at
once resorted to, and travellers were employed to
call upon retail tobacconists, I found the cigarettes
made no headway ; and the " Richmond Gems "
were absolutely refused, though they were the pro-
duct of an eminent Virginian firm. The smoking
of cigarettes of any sort or kind was extremely
limited ; in a few shops in localities frequented by
foreigners one could buy a packet of "Caporal" or
" La FermeY' also Egyptian and Turkish brands
of a few sorts — but Englishmen did not then
care for cigarettes. The trade in them and their
popularity is at the present time almost beyond
computation.
But I was determined not to be beaten, and as a last
resort I conceived the plan of offering to purchase a
tobacco dealer's licence for every chemist in the United
Kingdom who would place the American cigarettes
on their counters, and undertake their sale. In a
short time this proposition turned out highly success-
ful, and the chemists themselves were greatly pleased
with the result ; and then the retail tobacconists, who
had turned their backs upon us suddenly awoke to
the fact that the American cigarettes were appreciated
and required in this country, and they had no choice
but to stock and sell the Richmond Gem Cigarettes.
As soon as the retail dealers came to this conclusion
I decided to give them the utmost support possible
by advertising, and in this I was backed up by the
firm in Virginia.
Just at that time we produced as a poster and
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showcard the now well-known old Quaker smoker,
wearing a broad-brimmed hat, who very soon made
acquaintance and won his way to the hearts of all
British smokers. This was copyrighted for Great
Britain and the United States, and to-day remains
the principal trade mark of the various brands of
tobacco manufactured by Messrs Allen & Ginter,
the Richmond Gem Tobacco and Cigarette Manu-
facturers. Every kind of ingenious method was
employed to advertise their goods, and experts have
admitted that no advertising was better done or
with a more satisfactory result. The first welcome
given to these cigarettes did not come from the
west, but the east of London, and dealers in the
west doggedly refused to take up the sale. There-
upon a tobacco shop was rented at the Piccadilly
corner of the Circus, and styled "The Ole Virginny
Tobacco Shop." The windows were dressed in the
most attractive form, and in a very short time the
brand became the fashion. Then the cigarettes
crept into the hotels, clubs, and public-houses, and
everybody began to demand the Richmond Gem
Cigarettes and Tobacco.
Allen & Ginter held the monopoly of American
cigarettes for perhaps two years, but at the end of
that time the demand for cigarettes became so enor-
mous that every tobacco manufacturer in the United
States entered the market, and began turning out
cigarettes, shipping them to England. English manu-
facturers began the manufacture also. At the present
time the cigarette industry exceeds that of all manu-
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factured tobacco, and the rivalry created by the sale
caused the creation of that important amalgamation
known as the " American Tobacco Co." and the
" Imperial Tobacco Co."
This business, so lucrative and so extensive, I
regret to say, was lost to me and those interested
with me without a farthing compensation, although
I had introduced and created the demand for the
cigarette in Great Britain. When the American
Tobacco Co. was formed, all the important cigarette
manufacturers in the United States, with agencies in
England, were included, and they elected to conduct
the business for the future in their own name, on
their own premises, and with one staff, to represent
the whole of the members, under one manager. Since
that day the Imperial Tobacco Co. of Great Britain
has absorbed the combined American companies, and
the capital runs into some millions of money. At
first the cigarettes were all hand made ; but the
great demand stimulated the inventive genius of
America, and now all cigarettes are made by patented
machinery, under various American patents.
I was associated in this tobacco business with my
brother-in-law, Mr Henry K. Terry, and as soon
as the business became important, separate premises
were rented, in which the business was carried on.
The fret and worry of this business were enormous,
on account of the wearisome restrictions with which
every dealing with a dutiable commodity is sur-
rounded.
The general increase of my special business in
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proprietary articles at length became larger, and I
was obliged to remove from Great Russell Street to
more capacious premises at No. 46 Holborn Viaduct ;
and at that time quite three-fourths of the buildings
in that locality were unoccupied. Prior to the con-
struction of the Viaduct, vehicles had to descend a
steep road on Holborn Hill, cross Farringdon Street,
and ascend the steep face of Snow Hill, to gain the
level of the city in Newgate Street.
This was the road traversed by the martyrs on their
way from the old Fleet Prison in Farringdon Street
(now covered by the Memorial Hall) to Smithfield,
where they were burned at the stake. The exact spot
of martyrdom in Smithfield is now marked by a red
pillar-box for the posting of letters, on the north side
of the market opposite St Bartholomew's Hospital.
Here Anne Askew, Rogers, Bradford, and Philpot
suffered death with many others. My new premises
stand on what was called Snow Hill, where, 300
years ago, one John Strudwick, a grocer, kept a
shop, in whose house John Bunyan died, and from
here the procession passed to his burial in the
Bunhill Fields, where he was laid in the vault of
his host.
At the east end of the Viaduct stands the Church
of St Sepulchre, where Captain John Smith lies
buried, the lover of Pocahontas ; and on the right
hand is the New Sessions Court, on the old site of
Newgate.
Dr Parker's City Temple is almost opposite my
premises on the Viaduct.
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Speaking of trading in Great Britain, such as I
have experienced : — I am not, of course, familiar with
the course of all trades, but I can with pleasure bear
my testimony to the honourable character of that
trading with which I have come in contact. In the
thirty-eight years I have been trading in London I
have not lost ^"200 by bad debts. There are com-
mercial agencies which make inquiry into the stand-
ing of a tradesman who would do business with you ;
and cautious people can also refer to bankers as to
monetary position, or obtain references when dealing
with new firms, and the credit system is less abused,
in my experience, by default, than I have found else-
where to be the case.
Where a firm is believed to have made a success
in a particular line of business, applications are fre-
quently made from various people, anxious to improve
their financial position, who are full of ideas and in-
ventions which, they declare, would yield great fortunes
if the firm would only take them up.
I have been interviewed by several, who have
looked furtively round my office, and asked if I were
sure no one would be able to overhear our conversa-
tion. Then, when assured no one could possibly hear
what passed, they have told me of some poor formula,
or process of manufacture, utterly worthless, in bated
breath, as if they were divulging a great State secret.
Occasionally a professional man has honoured me
with his confidence, and been tortured while he spoke
lest I should pierce his anonymity, and ruin his reputa-
tion by disclosing that he was engaged in anything so
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mercenary as trade ! In no single instance have I
ever had anything placed before me, under such
circumstances as I have described, that I could enter-
tain for a single moment, and I think I have been
able, in every instance, to satisfy my interviewer that
his proposal was impracticable, if not silly, and con-
tained nothing new or important.
Since removing to the Viaduct an interesting plan
in connection with luncheon has been adopted among
a group of Americans who are engaged in kindred
pursuits. This began with fifteen or more lunching
daily at the Holburn Viaduct Hotel from i to 2 P.M.
For their exclusive use Messrs Spiers & Pond have
set apart in the coffee-room a large table, which has
been for twenty years known as "the American
Round Table " ; and here, Americans resident in
London regularly lunch together, with their friends.
During this period I have met at that Round Table
nearly every important advertiser and advertisement
agent in England, and many from the United States,
and from all parts of the Continent. This Round
Table forms a very pleasant rendezvous for those
having mutual interests, and an opportunity for ex-
changing views and finding new friends.
The table is now so well known that no surprise
is caused by former guests sending from all parts of
the Continent telegrams addressed to "The Round
Table, Viaduct Hotel, London," and timing their
arrival for the luncheon hour.
One hears of Americans being strongly criticised
as to their manners at hotel tables and elsewhere.
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Well-bred Americans are as careful and particular as
well-bred Englishmen, or the well-mannered of any
country. If 100,000 English were to pass through
New York and Boston every year, doubtless among
that number, visiting hotels and popular restaurants,
would be found occasionally, both men and women
whose table manners could be improved. One must
not expect an entire community to be precise and
exact in every detail of politeness. I was told the
other day of a foreigner at an American restaurant,
who, on taking his seat at a table, and while giving
his order to the waiter, in rather peremptory language,
meantime proceeded to tuck the end of his table-
napkin under his chin. The waiter, being a little
irritated by his manner, suddenly jerked the napkin
from the man's neck, saying : "I beg pardon, sir,
your order was for a lunch, not a shave."
Forty years ago swearing in the United States on
the part of boys and adults in all classes, was alto-
gether shocking ; but now, as in England, swearing
is "not good form," or rather "the very worst form."
English labourers and mechanics, as they walk
along the streets, interlard their conversation with
such words as "bloody fool" and " bloomin' idyit,"
but rarely anything stronger. A lady who walked
within ear-shot of a number of workmen and
labourers, from the Marble Arch to Lancaster Gate
one evening, heard the words "bloody" and "bloomin'"
uttered over sixty times. These are not refined expres-
sions, but they are a great improvement upon the too
frequent use of an oath. Even street boys and errand
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lads do not swear in London ; and an American
friend, walking with me in the Strand, at a time when
the evening papers were being published, remarked,
with some surprise: "Why, London newsboys wear
shoes, and comb their hair"; and he added: " Bus-
drivers wear silk hats, and gloves, and the conductors
say 'thank-you." These were new experiences for
him.
Americans have frequently asked me by what rule
a man may tell when one in England should be
addressed as " Mr," and when as " Esq." in writing
to a private gentleman. The difference is one of
compliment only ; but it is an established custom that
private gentlemen, and those commercially and pro-
fessionally occupied, shall be addressed as " Esq."
Men in the "services," or holding titles, prefix or
affix such titles to their names, not only upon their
visiting cards, but painted or stamped upon their
trunks and cases : such a practice is both proper and
convenient, so that their precise position is disclosed
at a glance.
The fact is an important one to remember, that the
profit of the London Telephone service in 1894 was
,£93,000 ; while the whole profit of the Post Office
department, which included telegraphs and parcel post,
was practically £5,000,000.
The inventor of the Post-Card was Dr Emmanuel
Hermann, Councillor of the Austrian Ministry of
Commerce, who first suggested the idea. His pro-
posal was at once adopted by the Austrian Post-
Office, when the price for the card was fixed at less
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than a half-penny. The number of words was limited
to twenty ; but this was very soon increased.
The question of cab fares is always a fruitful source
of annoyance and trouble in London. All fares are
supposed to be regulated by law ; but in practice this
is entirely ignored. A passenger can insist upon
being carried two legal miles for one shilling, but
he is not likely to attempt this twice. A stranger
taking a cab in London will be sure to have ascer-
tained beforehand, from a friend, the fare he ought
to pay. If the Cabman 'would only accept his legal
fare courteously, I am sure he would find his takings
at the close of the day much more satisfactory than
at present. Possibly, however, a Cabman will never
reach the point of contentment, however the fare may
be arranged. I am sure many people would volun-
tarily add a " tip " if cabby asked no more than his
legal fare.
Here let me again briefly refer to the subject of
International Trading. All English proprietary articles
seeking a sale in the United States, owing to enormous
import duties, cannot approach the consumer on equal
terms with the home manufacturer. Few, therefore,
of the great manufacturers of branded goods of any
kind, have attempted a serious advertising campaign in
America. Among the British successes Pears' Soap,
Worcester Sauce, Crosse & Blackwell, Huntley &
Palmer, Peak, Frean & Co., and Liebig's Extract may
be named.
The price of these articles in the United States
would be nearly double the price charged in Great
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Britain, and they do not come into competition, to
any extent, with what Brother Jonathan offers. What
may happen when "John Bull" establishes factories
in America is another question.
Of products of "Advanced Pharmacy" mention
must be made of the ready recognition on the part of
the medical profession of Great Britain of the im-
proved method of preparing drugs for accurate dis-
pensing, which has been introduced by American
manufacturing chemists and pharmacists. Apart from
such preparations as have been introduced by me,
mention should be made of the exceptional and
elaborate formulae issued by such well-known American
firms as Messrs Burroughs, Wellcome & Co., Seabury
and Johnson, Parke Davis & Co., Fairchild Bros.,
Foster, John Wyeth & Sons, M'Kessor & Robbins,
and others. I think I may claim to be the first to get
the ear and support of the profession, and hospitals,
for American digestive ferments — prepared from
Pepsin and Pancreatine — also for American Extract of
Malt. In 1880 Mr Silas Mainville Burroughs called
upon me in Great Russell Street with a letter of intro-
duction. He was a handsome young fellow, of about
thirty years of age, blonde of complexion, with fine,
pale blue eyes. He was full of enthusiasm as to
his purpose to establish the products of Messrs John
Wyeth & Sons of Philadelphia, with whom he had
been long associated. He rented a little office of two
rooms on the first floor of Great Russell Street Build-
ings, and, with samples in hand, began a canvass
among the London doctors and hospitals without
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delay. He had a magnetic personality, and the items
he had to offer were new and important. He suc-
ceeded from the very first, at the end of a year
taking quite large premises at Snow Hill, and adding
a factory for the manufacture of a malt extract and
beef wine and iron. He travelled constantly, making
friends and customers. He was joined later by Mr
Henry S. Wellcome, also a young man of experience
and ability, and the firm became Burroughs, Wellcome
and Co., and they then removed to the premises at
the top of Snow Hill, corner of the Viaduct, with
a new and important factory at Wandsworth, sub-
sequently removed to Dartford, Kent. Mr Burroughs
and I were warm personal friends from the day of his
arrival. He was having a holiday at Cannes in 1895,
took a severe cold, through some inadvertence, and
died suddenly of pneumonia. He lived to see the
seed sown by him blossom into success, but not the full
development which has been reached by his surviving
partner. The twenty-fifth anniversary of the estab-
lishment of the firm was held in July of the present
year.
In my observations concerning American industries
which have gained a footing in Great Britain I must
mention the Diamond Match Company of Maryland,
which erected a gigantic plant and works near Liver-
pool some years ago. There was an immediate
demand for these cheap, excellent matches, which
were produced by automatic, novel, and patented
machinery at prices that could not be equalled by
British manufacturers. Four years ago this business
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was acquired by Messrs Bryant & May, the eminent
match manufacturers of this country. The result of
this is that the united industries of these two great
concerns control the market for every description
of matches, from the " Patent Safety " to Wax Vestas,
with intermediate lines of every conceivable form of
match. Quite recently I had the pleasure of going
over these works, and inspecting the manufacture of
matches. Passing from one machine to another, I soon
discovered on the polished brass plates attached to
the "almost human" machines the familiar names
" Salem, Ohio," " Cleveland, Ohio," "Chicago, 111."
"Yes," said the manager; "they are all American."
I timidly asked: "How many matches do you produce
per day ? " " Exactly eight times the number of the
population of the United Kingdom " was the reply.
" Eight matches for every human being ! "
CHAPTER VI
Dr Joseph Parker — Personal Acquaintance and Friendship — My Father's
Visit and Death — Thursday Morning Services — Henry Ward
Beecher's Visit to London — Colman's Mustard — Dr Parker's
Lectures in the United States — Controversy arises — Lecture Tour
abbreviated — Dr Parker's Letters — Plymouth Church — I join the
Diaconate of City Temple — Dr and Mrs Parker's Silver Wedding
— Presentation of Gifts — Dr Parker's Commandments for Men of
Business.
ALTHOUGH I was the son and the grandson of Pres-
byterian ministers, by early habit and inclination,
and also by youthful constraint, an attendant at
religious services, I cannot say that I had in early
life any decided leaning to one special form of religi-
ous worship. While quite a little boy I attended two
services on the Sabbath in my father's church. These
were in the morning and afternoon : early in the
evening I was sent to bed. When I went to reside
with my grandfather I found he was a strict Sab-
batarian, and never would allow of any domestic
work being done unless most urgent, so I had to fall
in with his wishes. But when I began my travelling,
I think that I became less observant of attendance
at church on the Sabbath. On coming to London,
however, this feeling passed away after a time.
As I was not specially interested in any particular
branch of the Christian Church I was at first content
to accompany my American visitors to such places
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of worship as they most desired to visit. The most
popular preachers in London amongst Americans from
1867 to 1872 was certainly the Rev. Charles Spurgeon
and Rev. Newman Hall, and I must have taken be-
tween these years several hundreds to hear those
ministers preach.
I was but rarely asked to accompany visitors to
hear the Church of England clergy. The visitors
to St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and other
historic churches seemed only anxious to see the
edifice, the marvellous painted windows, and the
memorials to the illustrious dead. If I were asked to
name the clergymen of the Established Church best
known to Americans in the seventies, I would answer
Dean Stanley, Archdeacon Farrar, the Dean of
Rochester, Rev. Charles Haweis — all of whom are now
deceased. To-day I would mention Bishop Weldon,
late head-master of Harrow, and Archdeacon Sinclair
of St Paul's Cathedral. Both of these eloquent and
distinguished clergymen have a very large acquaint-
ance with Americans, and are greatly appreciated
and beloved by them.
The most popular preachers in New York in the
seventies were Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Dr John
Hall, Rev. Dr Thompson, Rev. T. De Witt Talmage,
Rev. Dr G. B. Cheever, Rev. Dr Stephen H.
Tyng, and Rev. Dr T. L. Cuyler.
During the summer of 1873 my attention was
attracted to an article in The New York Evangelist,
which was written by the Rev. Dr Theodore L.
Cuyler, describing visits to London churches, and
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very strong expressions were used in praise of the
preaching of the Rev. Dr Joseph Parker. Services
were being temporarily held at the Cannon Street
Hotel, as the Poultry Chapel, of which he was pastor,
had been sold to the Corporation of the City of
London, and the trustees had only then completed the
purchase of a plot of land from the Corporation, on the
Holborn Viaduct, for the erection of what is now
called the City Temple.
The Sunday following the reading of the article
I went to the Cannon Street Hotel in the morning,
but was disappointed to find that the Doctor was
taking a holiday, and that the services would only
be resumed the last Sunday in September, when he
would preach there in the morning, and at Exeter
Hall in the evening. I took special care to be present
at that evening service. By going early I was able to
obtain seats for my wife, myself, and three friends
near to the platform, on the ground floor, so that
I could judge for myself whether Dr Cuyler had
over-praised Dr Parker's eloquence and power.
There was a small table on the platform, by
which the Doctor sat, with a deacon on each
side of him. When service began I watched the
Doctor closely. Dr Cuyler said, in the course of
his article: "You will see in him a man with a
head like a lion, with a voice that could roar like
a lion, but which could be lowered to the gentlest
whisper, and yet the whisper could be heard in any
part of the hall." I tested this for myself, and found
that the description was absolutely correct. His
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personality was remarkable ; his appearance most
striking — enormous head and broad forehead. At that
time he wore his hair very long, and had full beard,
leaving upper lip and upper part of chin clean shaven ;
hair and beard raven black. He wore no gown, only
a plain black frock coat and black tie.
I noticed particularly that he had a small and
shapely hand. He began, I think, with a short in-
vocation— " Lord, abide with us, for it is toward even-
ing, and the day is far spent " — which was followed by
the giving out of a hymn. After reading in the most
impressive manner the first two lines —
" Hail, Thou once despised Jesus,
Hail, Thou Galilean King " —
he said : " This is not a funeral hymn — it must be
sung with fire." The whole congregation, being over
3000 persons, took up the singing with great hearti-
ness. There was not a word spoken in the sermon
which he delivered that I did not follow with the
closest attention and delight, and I afterwards never
failed to attend the service there, generally accompanied
by five or six others.
Dr Parker delivered his sermons extempore, and
the notes he carried into the pulpit could be written on
a visiting-card — just a few " Feathers for Arrows,"
as he called them. Did this mean that he could preach
three sermons a week without previous preparation ?
Certainly not. He was a deep student. Every subject
of discourse was settled definitely in his mind.
He once told me he had frequently to reply to
82
JOSEPH PAEKEE.
Drawn in the firelight in the Study at '; Tynehome," Hampstead, 1888, by
MAUDE POSTER.
With John Bull and Jonathan
brother ministers who would say : "How easy and
simple, Dr Parker, is your work: thirty minutes' sermon,
Thursday ; two thirty-minute discourses on Sunday.
No sermon- writing." The irony of his answer was
in the tone of voice in which he would say: " Go thou
and do likewise."
His final word at the finish of a sermon was always
delivered sharp and abrupt, with a rising inflection :
he then would slowly close the Bible.
At the conclusion of an invocation or prayer his
habit always was to make a pause of a few seconds
before pronouncing "AMEN." This was most im-
pressive.
He spoke such words as "Goo" — " JESUS CHRIST"
— "No" — "YES" — "NOTHING" in a way to give
more value to each word than any speaker I have
ever heard.
His Bible-reading at services never exceeded a
dozen verses, but the reading was remarkable, com-
manding the attention of everyone.
Dr Parker never cared to see anyone in his private
vestry before any service. He wished to be quite
alone for half-an-hour or more before preaching. He
never hurried or rushed to his work.
I was present at the laying of the corner-stone of
the City Temple by the Rev. Thomas Binney, and
at the dedication service by Rev. Professor W. Lind-
say Alexander, D.D., of Edinburgh.
In the new building I rented a pew holding seven
people on the ground floor, where I was only distant
five pews from the pulpit. I did not make the per-
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sonal acquaintance of the Doctor and his wife until
several months after the opening of the City Temple,
although we attended the services regularly, and
occasionally the Thursday morning service also. I
had, however, learned much concerning him from
others. He was the son of a Northumbrian stone
mason, a rugged, dogmatic old Puritan, stern of
manner and of thought — one who lived hardly, and
was righteous. His son inherited many of these
traits, united with an irrepressible industry, which
never would admit fatigue. His life was one long
devotion to the service of his Master.
In 1874 my father paid me a visit, and, naturally,
accompanied me to the City Temple upon the first
Sunday of his being in London, and I took him
into the vestry, and introduced him. Then visits
were interchanged between us. He came to my
house in Upper Woburn Place, and my wife and
I called upon him and Mrs Parker in the Quadrant,
Highbury. This was approaching the time for the
summer holiday, and Dr Parker invited my father
to preach for him on one Sunday in August at
the City Temple. The week before this Sunday
came my father left London on a visit to Scotland.
I took him to Euston Station ; and received a post
card from him the next morning, dated Melrose, in
which he said he had just visited the Abbey, should
spend the night at Melrose, and go forward to
Abbotsford in the morning, and proceed thence to
Edinburgh in the evening. The following morning,
however, I read a paragraph in The Daily Telegraph
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stating that a clergyman, answering my father's de-
scription, and with letters in his pocket bearing his
name, had met with an accident at the Waverley
Station, and that he had been conveyed to the
Royal Infirmary at Edinburgh. A few hours later
I received a telegram from the house surgeon stating
that my father had died.
I left London immediately with my wife for
Edinburgh ; and the only particulars that I could
obtain with respect to the accident were that he
was seen by one of the porters at the Waverley
Station crossing the track, and judging by the
position in which he was found, the supposition was
that he caught his foot in a rail, and pitched head
first against a stone buttress, which fractured his
skull. He died within two hours, without having
spoken a word.
Dr and Mrs Parker were abroad at this time ; but
both telegraphed their condolences to us, and upon
their return were the first to call and express their
sympathy.
My father's body was removed to America, and
was finally interred at Auburn, New York, in the
same cemetery and plot, where his mother and
father are buried.
From this time until his death, in 1902, there
never passed one week, without my seeing or hear-
ing from Dr Parker. The Doctor was pleased, in
the course of time, to honour me with his confidence
in a marked degree, as though he recognised in me
some quality which satisfied his judgment, that I
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could be trusted in business questions quite apart
from those relating to his church. He was not
only a born preacher, but possessed a marvellous
grasp of sound practical knowledge upon the affairs
of the day. I often consulted with him regarding my
own affairs, always getting the most practical help.
In 1886 the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and his
wife came to England, on the invitation of Dr and
Mrs Parker to pay them a visit, and he was also
under an engagement at that time to Major J. B.
Pond to deliver a course of lectures in Great
Britain. The first lecture was to be delivered in
the City Temple, and on the Sunday previous Dr
Parker made reference to his presence, and made
a slight allusion to the matter of the Beecher-Tilton
controversy, in which the Doctor declared Mr Beecher
had been entirely exonerated, and remarked that Mr
Beecher deserved their warmest sympathy for having
been laid under such a dense cloud of suspicion.
Calls were made from the congregation for Mr
Beecher, whereupon he went into the pulpit, and
said : " I must immediately disclaim what Dr Parker
has just said, that during the months or year of the
controversy to which he has referred I was in
any condition of doubt or gloom or unrest. My
friends may have been ; but my spirits were never
checked, my night's rest never disturbed, and I can
truly say that I never felt in the smallest degree
but that in the end I should be entirely exonerated."
I have often heard Dr and Mrs Parker say how
greatly cheered they were by Mr Beecher's visit,
86
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With John Bull and Jonathan
and astonished at his wonderful powers and vitality ;
and that his amusing companionship had greatly
delighted them, and they were very reluctant to part
when the time came for Mr Beecher and his wife
to return to New York. They remained in England
three months, and during the first month of the
lecture tour Dr and Mrs Parker accompanied them
to every important place where Mr Beecher had to
lecture. Dr Parker was with him on the platform
of every place where he lectured in London.
I remember Mrs Parker telling me an amusing
story of an occurrence on the first day of the arrival
at their house in Hampstead. On sitting down to
dinner that day, Mr Beecher said to her : " Mrs
Parker, I want you to tell me what mustard you
use in this family." She was very much surprised
at such a question, and replied : " Well, Mr Beecher,
do tell me why you want to know, because I cannot
answer without consulting the cook." He said :
" Consult the cook, then, because I cannot eat a
mouthful until my question is answered." The cook
was at once questioned, and forthwith came the
answer: "Colman's." "Very well," said Mr Beecher,
"then I will proceed with my dinner; but all the
way up from Liverpool, at every railway station,
and on every hoarding near the track, I read the
legend : ' Colman's Mustard is the best.' That decided
me that I must prove the truth of that assertion on
the first occasion that I dined in London."
During ten or fifteen years I had many interests
in which Dr Parker was concerned — notably in the
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publication of The Foimtain, The Daisy Family
Story Paper, and afterwards The Christian Chronicle.
Upon one occasion we were joint owners of The
Citizen, a well-known city weekly, for forty-eight
hours. Immediately after the purchase of that
paper a city merchant, desiring to become the
owner, offered a handsome addition to what we
had paid, and the copyright was at once handed
over without our having published a single number.
Amongst other traits I found Dr Parker to be
one of the most correct and punctual men I ever
met with. He never broke an engagement except
from physical inability. His working powers were
marvellous, and his industry never tired. During
the thirty-three years of his London ministry he
issued many volumes of sermons, wrote several
novels, published all the volumes of the " People's
Bible" and the "People's Prayer-Book," and he was
constantly writing for the press, or reviewing books,
while at the same time conducting an enormous
private correspondence. In the matter of book
publishing and the author's prospect he once
said that when about to issue his first book, when
his manuscript had been accepted, and he was in
high expectation of results in the way of copies
sold, he began to make up a list of those to whom
he was personally known, all of whom were certain
to purchase at least one copy. The total list ran
to several hundreds. Alas ! for human calculation,
he found that all his friends did not subscribe, and
was unable to trace a dozen copies to their patronage.
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In telling this, he remarked that, both as preacher
and author, he had put his trust in the great public,
adding: "Do not rely upon the patronage of a set
or of individuals. Look to your work ; the public will
find you if the work is worthy."
Dr Parker's labour was without end, because he
was in great request for the opening of bazaars, the
laying of corner-stones, and preaching sermons at
the opening of new chapels and school-rooms, in all
parts of the country. Then he had frequently the
far more difficult duty of presiding over conferences
of ministerial brethren ; or at meetings held upon
questions of great social importance.
In the City Temple he renewed the Thursday
morning services previously held by him in the
Poultry Chapel, and carried these on for thirty years
— to the close of his life. His service furnished an
admirable opportunity to strangers who wished to
hear him when they visited the Metropolis. After
the public services anyone who so desired might
have an interview with him in the vestry, but he
always insisted upon these being brief. I have met
in his vestry during the last twenty-five years of
his ministry many of the most distinguished men
of the day, in every department of life, and from
nearly every country in the world.
Upon one occasion a gentleman entered the vestry,
and asked him to be so good as to fix a day when
he would give him a two hours' interview for a con-
versation on a most important matter, in which Dr
Parker would be interested. " Never," said the Doctor
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impressively, to his visitor's astonishment. " Why
not?" he asked. "I could never be interested in
anything which required two hours to tell. I am
perfectly certain whatever you want to communicate
can be told in fifteen minutes. That is the utmost
time I can spare, and you can begin now if you are
ready." The visitor, however, resented the limita-
tion, and retired.
There were so many of this class of visitors that
the Doctor had an electric wire placed under the
mat at his table in the vestry where he sat, which
communicated with a bell in the outer vestry, and
whenever that bell was heard the sexton would enter
with the Doctor's hat and coat, or intimated that
some other visitor was waiting an interview, and
so the "bore," male or female, was checkmated.
In one of his books he writes : " One of the plagues
of a minister's life is that people will use so many
words in talking to him ; they think they shall be
heard for their much speaking. In my early ministry
I used to take down in shorthand the wordy speeches
of one most persistent bore, and I found that he used
eighteen words where six were enough. If ever I
were rash enough to ask him how he was, he would
say : * Well, sir, in regards of that, you touch a rather
delicate point, for as I was saying, no longer back
than yesterday, when we put things together, and
consider what sort of weather ' And so on, until
my poor patience utterly gave way, and if I had not
been a minister I should have slain him with a
frown. "
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Yet he had plenty of patience with anyone who
had a really genuine tale to tell, but he seemed in-
tuitively to detect the simple bore.
At his own residence he was the soul of hospitality,
and would enter into the sport of the occasion with the
ardour and simplicity of a child. He was possessed
of a wonderful fund of stories, and told them in the
quaint manner of a native of the country in which they
originated.
Although Dr Parker had paid several visits to
the United States on pleasure, not until 1887 did
he finally assent to the oft-repeated suggestion that
he should deliver a series of lectures in the States,
and he then entered into an agreement with Major
James B. Pond to deliver fifty lectures in the course
of three months in the principal cities and towns.
These were to begin at New York, and extend as
far west as Chicago ; and, crossing into Canada, de-
liver fix or six in that country. The subjects were
to be secular, and the Doctor selected " Gladstone,"
and one entitled " Clocks and Watches." His first
public appearance was to be in the Academy of
Music, Brooklyn, where he was to deliver a promised
eulogy upon the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. This
he had written out very carefully, and committed to
memory, so that upon delivery he did not use any
notes. The Doctor left the MS. with me, with in-
structions that upon receipt of a telegram that the
eulogy was delivered the MS. should be sent to The
Christian World for publication in London. This
was done.
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Dr Parker was invited to deliver this eulogy in the
following words by cable : —
" Plymouth Church grateful for sympathy. Invite
you to deliver eulogy. All expenses of journey
and visit of Mrs Parker and yourself paid by
us."
In America a serious controversy broke out over
this lecture, because Major Pond insisted that this
should be treated as one of the course to be de-
livered, and the cost deducted from the sale of
tickets received.
The Doctor delivered about thirty lectures, when
the constant travelling, at the most killing time of
year, coupled with the worry he suffered from the
newspaper controversy, decided him to return to
England at once, and take up again his work at
the City Temple in January 1888, instead of in
March as he had previously intended. He preached
in Plymouth Church on the Sunday morning before
he sailed ; but to the surprise of the congregation
he left the pulpit the moment he had finished his
sermon, and declined to see anybody or receive
anyone. He preached the sermon because he had
promised to do so ; but he felt so offended at the
tone adopted by the Press and some of the members
of the church, that he determined not to meet any
member of the congregation, or do anything more
than what he had promised.
With regard to this visit, a few extracts from his
letters to me will give the view he entertained of
this unfortunate dispute :
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EVERETT HOUSE, 29^ August 1887.
Fourteen reporters first day, ten to-day. Everybody most kind.
Shall be glad to escape N.Y. More taken out of me in one day than
in a month at home.
You know how large and true is the love we send, so I conclude
with a monogram and a blessing.
J. P.
EVERETT HOUSE, N.Y., tfh October.
We have been almost overwhelmed with kindness, yet we long, long,
long to see how old London looks, and we long to meander in the fragrant
neighbourhood of the Viaduct. I am quietly endeavouring to abbreviate
my tour. . . . This is our thought and our hope. ... I cannot conceive
the circumstances under which I would settle here, even if I had an op-
portunity. Think of exchanging London for Brooklyn !
... In bonds indissoluble,
Yours,
JOSEPH PARKER.
BUFFALO, N.Y., 29^ October 1887.
. . . Your sunshine-letter came, and rejoiced us like a jubilee at cold
Toronto. It is just possible we may go to some restful place in England
in early December. . . . The long, long journeys, and then an exciting
lecture, are too much for me. ... A month's rest in England will be
invaluable to me. ... I write in furious haste, but with the double love
of E. J.— J. P.
WEST HOTEL, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., i%th November 1887.
Pity me so far away from home ! I really do feel lonesome. I long
for home. I preach in Plymouth Church on 4th December, and they
give me a reception during the week. ... I cannot write the particulars
about Plymouth Church, but you will know all when we meet. Every-
thing is more than satisfactory.
I can settle here (in America) on an income of ^5000 (pounds) a
year easily made! But I
WON'T.
The opportunities I have had are simply astounding, and as for kind-
ness— call it infinite. Our best love to you both. I did think Laurie
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would have written me one line, but princes, dukes, and belted earls
quench such sparks as a dissenting preacher. Lord pity us 1 . . .
. . . Longing, longing, longing.
O, so wearily.
Ever in heartiest love,
Yours,
J. P.
EVERETT HOUSE, UNION SQUARE, NEW YORK.
4th December, 1887.
Some of your newspaper countrymen have been scalping me in
open day, and telling lies about twice as big as America. They
said I charged a fee, or received a fee, for my eulogy. A bigger lie
was never invented since the serpent conferred with Eve in the
fragrant Garden of Eden. On the contrary, I received 100 dollars
less than I was actually out of pocket ! The Eulogy Committee, vindi-
cated me in the best possible manner, and after my vindication (I
could not before) I gave the whole sum I received towards the fund
for erecting the monument, so I have had the pleasure of delivering
the eulogy, and paying every penny of our united expenses. I do
not ^wplain, I only explain. . . . But the newspapers can lie ! At one
hotel Mrs Beecher was sent away when she called, with the explanation
that I could not see her because I was "at prayer"! Another reporter
says he called upon me, and found me playing dominoes, whereas
I do not know one domino from another. Yes ; they can lie. ... On
arriving at home I shall need the assurance that I have some friends
somewhere, and that assurance will find its way back to America.
Please blame only the right parties, viz. : the infamous newspaper
reporters and interviewers, and hangers-on. The gentlemen of America
have been true, and kind, and noble.
Our love, our true love, our growing love, to you and yours.
J. P.
In 1892 I was invited to join the diaconate of
the City Temple, which I did.
Dr Parker was an extremely charitable man, and
dispensed large sums of money from his private purse,
as well as from funds placed at his disposal, to persons
in circumstances of need. As a judge of character
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he was rarely at fault, and on a second or third
appeal being made to him by the same person,
if there were the slightest variation in the story, he
detected the imposture at once. Once, in reference
to an applicant who had disappointed him, he used
the following words : — " Keep her at the utmost dis-
tance, she is a consummate beggar. How many
sovereigns and half-sovereigns she has had from
here (the City Temple) I dare not inquire."
In May 1894, on the conclusion of twenty-five
years' ministry in the City Temple, opportunity was
taken to present Dr and Mrs Parker with suitable
gifts, as marks of the public appreciation of his
ministry. To Dr Parker was presented pulpit robes,
a cheque for 1000 guineas, and a portrait in oils
by Mr Robert Gibb, R.S.A., which now hangs in
the vestry of the City Temple. These gifts were
accompanied by an album containing the autographs
of the donors. The presentation to Mrs Parker,
which consisted of a beautiful diamond brooch, was
made by me. Dr Parker, in responding upon this
occasion, observed : " I am touched especially by the
words of my long-tried friend, Mr Richards, con-
cerning my wife. The diamonds are of great value,
their radiance is indisputable, but I am here, after
thirty years' experience and observation, to say that
the radiance of the diamonds is eclipsed and quenched
by the glory of the life they are intended to adorn."
This presentation is duly recorded on a tablet in
the vestibule.
His pulpit jubilee was celebrated iQth July 1898,
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and the services were attended by enormous crowds
of people.
One of the most remarkable booklets which Dr
Parker wrote was the result of many talks we had
together upon business, and business methods. This
was originally intended for private circulation, but
was subsequently published by the well-known firm
of Messrs Hazell, Watson & Viney, to whose
courtesy I am indebted for the quotation following.
The work was entitled " Successful Business ; How
to Get it, Keep it, and Make the Most of it," and
closes with the following : — " Ten General Command-
ments for Men of Business " : —
1. Thou shalt not in any wise boast, brag, bounce,
or bluster, or the wise man will hold thee in low
esteem.
2. Thou shalt not permit thy wife to be living
at the rate of ^200 a year when thy business is not
yielding more than ^199; nor shalt thou withhold
from her the business information which, as an help-
meet, she is entitled to receive.
3. Thou shalt not mock the unsuccessful man,
for he may be richer in his poverty than thou art in
thy boasted abundance.
4. Thou shalt not carry the counting-house into
the domestic circle, nor in any wise spoil the children's
hour by recapitulating the bankruptcies of the day.
5. Thou shalt not hob-nob with idle persons, nor
smoke with them, nor encourage them, nor approve
their evil life.
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6. Thou shalt not keep company with an un-
punctual man, for he will certainly lead thee to
carelessness and ruin.
7. Thou shalt not forget that a servant who can
tell \\esfor thee, may one day tell lies to thee.
8. As to hours of slumber and sleep, remember
the good old rule :
11 Nature requires five,
Custom gives seven,
Laziness takes nine,
And wickedness eleven.
9. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, but give
where well-bestowed, right cheerfully.
10. Be honest in copper, and in gold thy honesty
will be sure.
These are the commandments truly, which will
ensure success in business.
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CHAPTER VII
English Holiday-making — Our Visits with Dr and Mrs Parker —
Mrs Parker's Illness and Death— The Doctor's Grief— He is
Heart-broken — Continues his Ministry — His last Holiday with
us — Illness and Death.
THE method of taking summer holidays in England
was one of the first things which interested me, as
being in such strange and marked contrast with the
American habit. Across the Atlantic, on setting out
for a holiday, the town house would be shut up,
locked, and no caretaker left in the place. The
family would migrate to the countryside or the
seaside, and engage rooms, with full board, at a
hotel or boarding-house at a fixed price per week,
and remain away during June, July, and August,
when the air of the city is at greatest heat — the
head of the family taking an occasional run to town
on business.
I soon found out that in England, except amongst
the richer classes, a fortnight or three weeks was the
customary length of a summer holiday ; and the
system involved negotiations being carried out with
the keepers of seaside lodgings, or at farmhouses
at the countryside — the prices varying according to
the location and the character of the accommodation.
A fixed price was paid for the rooms, all food supplies
being regulated on a separate basis, or the food
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With John Bull and Jonathan
could be purchased by the visitors, and a small charge
made for cooking and serving. This plan means
that you are practically carrying out your ordinary
home life in lodgings, or in furnished houses. Not
infrequently families of six or eight persons were
to be found who considered their position very
satisfactory with only one sitting-room and three
or four bedrooms.
The seaside hotels in England forty years ago
were more of them constructed on the scale and
plan of those at Newport, Narragansett Pier, Long
Branch, Manhattan Beach, Saratoga, or in the
White Mountains. Many of these hotels have ac-
commodation for 1000 guests, and at the inclusive
price of $2.50 to $6.00 per day. There are English
seaside hotels of the present day that will take
300 guests, and at fixed tariff, from 155. a day.
The lodging-house system exists in London, and
in all large towns in England ; but the boarding-
house system is distinctly limited, though in many
cases one hears of extremely desirable and comfortable
establishments of that kind. At all these places
there are discomforts of a more or less serious
character.
The amusements and diversions at English resorts
are not of the social character of those in the United
States. Families keep together, and there is very little
attempt to form new acquaintances or join other
families in bathing, promenades, or driving. Even-
ing amusements are quiet, and " early to bed " rules
prevail.
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Many of our summer holidays were passed with
Dr and Mrs Parker in visiting notable places in
England. I remember upon one occasion, while
staying together in the Isle of Wight, Dr Parker
said to me : "I wish to give you and your wife a
holiday with us, but the invitation can only be
accepted upon one condition. You are to place
yourselves unreservedly in our hands ; you are to
have no responsibility of any kind whatever. This
will be a holiday at Lake Windermere ; but you are
not to have anything to do with choosing the hotel,
your room, ordering your meals, or planning any
excursions, walks, or drives. I want you to be
relieved for one whole week of having to make
any suggestion to anybody on earth. Your usual
holidays which have come under my observation
have been taken up with making arrangements for
other people. Will you come ? "
" Enthusiastically — yes," was my reply.
These were the same words which he had used
himself upon one occasion when accepting an invita-
tion under similar circumstances from me. A more
enjoyable ten days' holiday could not have been
experienced by anyone in the world. We were
taken to see everything of interest in the Lake
District — the Wordsworth country. Nothing was
omitted, and the journey was the more enjoyable
because I really had no responsibility of any kind.
Dr and Mrs Parker always took their holidays
together, and the Doctor never left London for the
country on a preaching excursion for one day, upon
IOO
'./>
With John Bull and Jonathan
which she did not accompany him. So constantly
were they in one another's society that Mrs Parker
told me that the only written communication which
had ever passed between them was a post card
written in shorthand which he sent to her at
Sunderland, at the time of the death of her mother.
On this occasion she was obliged to go alone, because
Dr Parker had a preaching engagement which he
felt he could not postpone.
The last visit which they paid together to Mrs
Richards and myself was at Norris Castle, East Cowes,
Isle of Wight. They were with us two weeks in
September, which were delightfully spent ; and so far
as human foresight could foretell, they left us in
absolutely perfect health for their journey home to
Hampstead — he to recommence his work at the City
Temple, on the first Sunday of October.
Three weeks after their return Mrs Parker was
declared to be very seriously ill — but there was no
danger, so the medical men declared. A surgical
operation was performed, for the removal of a
malignant growth, which was declared to be entirely
successful, and her prompt recovery was anticipated.
Her symptoms changed from better to worse, and
on 27th January 1899 she died. I became ac-
quainted with the sad fact by receiving a wire from
the Doctor in the following words : —
" She is not here : she has risen."
I immediately went to his house at Hampstead,
and on being admitted went up to his study. He
was sitting in a chair in front of the fire, almost bent
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double : he was crushed by the sorrow which had
fallen upon him.
He saw me enter the room, but did not speak a
word. Then he rose, and taking me by the hand,
led me in silence to the darkened room in which the
body lay, and remained for a few moments — no
words were spoken.
He led me out of the room and to the door ; with
a hand- clasp we parted.
During Mrs Parker's illness, which lasted two
months, I saw her repeatedly, and she always spoke
to me in terms of hope about her recovery. Over
and over again she said : " Never mind what the
doctors say, or any personal expressions you may
hear, I think I shall get well."
The medical men held a consultation, after which,
on 1 4th December 1898, I received a telegram from
her in these words : " Greatly better ; splendid night " ;
and a letter from Dr Parker, in which he told me
that Mrs Parker's recovery was assured. On the
last occasion of my seeing her she said : " I am not
in any pain."
In my opinion, if she realised the fatal character
of her illness, she was afraid the announcement would
have a serious effect upon Dr Parker, and was not
prepared herself to tell him.
The funeral service was held at the house — " Tyne-
house," Lyndhurst Gardens, South Hampstead — the
Rev. Principal Vaughan Pryce, President of New
College, officiating. Many ministerial and lay friends
were present. Mrs Parker was buried in a plot of
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ground in Hampstead Cemetery, and at his request I
wrote the following inscription, which appears upon
the monument : —
"tto tbe flftemotB of
EMMA JANE PARKER
Born, June 2oth, 1846.
Ascended, January 27th, 1899.
For more than 34 years the loving and devoted wife of
Joseph Parker, Minister of the City Temple, London.
Gratefully erected by the Church and Congregation.
'Purer, dearer,
With eyes clearer
On the Home shore.'"
The concluding lines were quoted from her own
poem, " Perchance," published in a volume entitled
" Summer Sonnets," and issued during her last
illness.
Dr Parker was, of course, present at the funeral
in the cemetery, but never visited the grave after-
wards. Her death broke his heart, but not the
purpose of his life ; and what she would have wished
him to do was the after inspiration of every act of
his life. He would say : " I have come to see you
because I know she would have wished me to do
so " ; or : "I will go there because I know she would
have me go." Behind all this was the resignation
of despair. He prayed morning and evening ever
afterwards that he might die ; and his prayer was
shortly answered.
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In the meantime he went on with his ministerial
work — "She would have wished this," he continually
said to me.
The following summer Dr Parker came to visit
us at Old Park, near Ventnor, and again in 1900
he visited us at Steephill Castle, Ventnor, and
finally in the following summer, 1901.
Dr Parker was gifted with a high sense of humour,
and greatly delighted his friends on many occasions
by telling stories in the dialect of the people where
they originated : thus he told tales in the North-
umbrian tongue, and he was equally at home with
those of Irish, Scottish, or Welsh origin, and in some
degree had mastered the American accent. He had
an enormous fund of amusing stories, and, whether
new or old, his manner of telling them was the
feature of such entertainment. One can repeat the
stories, not the genius in telling them.
No one who was present at the time in Steephill
Castle can ever forget the jest under cover of which
he left the dining-room one evening when we were
sitting rather late. " Let me tell you an Irish story,"
he began ; and those present became silent at once.
"There was an Irish priest, upon one occasion,
preaching in a village church to the peasants, and
he spoke thus at the conclusion of a sermon on the
virtues and wisdom of St Patrick." Here he adopted
a broad Irish brogue, and continued : " * Now, my dear
children, where shall we put St Patrick ? Shall we
put him where the sapphire river rolls around the
throne of the Almighty ? No ; we will not put him
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there. Shall we put him where the golden light
plays around the golden city ? No ; we will not
put him there. Shall we put him in a boat sailing
over the golden lake when the angels are calling?
No ; we will not put him there.' For the fourth time
he demanded in a loud voice : ' Where shall we
put St Patrick ? ' Then at that moment a peasant
called out : ' Well then, shure, you can put him here,
for I'm going." And with a bow the Doctor rose,
and retired to his bedchamber, leaving those present
convulsed with laughter.
Dr Parker was much sought after by the leading
men of the day, and he was in the habit, where
possible, of inviting them to the Thursday morning
service at the City Temple. Upon one occasion
the subject he announced was : " What has the Pew
to say to the Pulpit?" He called upon Mr Glad-
stone, in view of this service, with whom he had
been upon most friendly terms, to arrange the date.
Upon returning from Harley Street, Dr Parker told
me that Mr Gladstone had promised to attend, and
that on leaving he said : " Now, Mr Gladstone, I
have to announce this from the pulpit, so may I
consider it as such a definite engagement as you can
give?" To this Mr Gladstone replied: "Nothing
but the inevitable will prevent."
Mr Gladstone duly attended the service, and opened
the discussion, which was regarded as one of the
most important services ever held in the City
Temple.
Amongst other visitors to the City Temple, on
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similar occasions, were the great Earl of Shaftesbury
and Dean Stanley.
The names of these and other visitors were signed
in the pulpit Bible, which is now enclosed in a glass
case, and stands below the pulpit.
Soon after the visit of Mr Gladstone he and his
wife accepted an invitation to a garden party at Dr
Parker's residence, Daleham Gardens, Hampstead,
where the venerable statesman met a distinguished
company of clergymen, ministers, and laymen. A
similar party was given during the visit of Mr Beecher,
when there was also an important gathering. Mr
Gladstone soon afterwards invited Dr and Mrs
Parker, and the Rev. H. Ward Beecher and Mrs
Beecher, to breakfast with him in Downing Street.
Mrs Parker was a lady of many accomplishments,
and a devoted helpmeet. In Dr Parker's work of
preparation at home, and in the execution of many
labours at the Temple, she was his comrade and
his right hand. She was the leader of his choir, and
an excellent singer herself; and, as an excellent
stenographer, she took down in shorthand many
hundreds of his sermons, and wrote them out for
the Press. More than all this, she sympathised
with him in many whims and fancies, and indulged
him to the "utmost of his bent" in the harmless
amusements of the day. One of these was that of
mind telegraphy, or the directing of the thoughts
of a third person, and, assisted by his wife, he con-
stantly practised this power upon his friends or
visitors. He would agree with Mrs Parker that,
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With John Bull and Jonathan
when a certain person would sit down at lunch or
dinner with them, they would concentrate their
will power in one direction upon him ; and he has
declared to me that, whenever they adopted this
plan, they were always successful. One instance he
told me of related to a visit paid him by Professor
Newth, who was well known for his antipathy to
Mr Gladstone. After Dr and Mrs Parker had
exercised their will power over him with special
regard to Mr Gladstone, they were immensely
amused to hear him all at once ask the Doctor a
question regarding that statesman.
In the holidays of 1902 he said he was afraid of
the trip across the Solent. So the holiday was spent
in a visit to Mrs Burnett Smith, "Annie Swan"
(the well-known writer). He invited me to visit
him there, but pressure of business engagements
prevented me, to my great regret.
In May 1902 Dr Parker, on the invitation of Mrs
Richards, accompanied her to the Zoological Gardens
in Regent's Park, and, at her request, was photo-
graphed standing by the lion's cage. This is, I
believe, the last photograph taken of Dr Parker.
At that time he frequently complained of not feeling
up to the mark : he suffered from shortness of breath
and a pressure upon his chest, which often took him
when speaking ; nor could he walk far without feeling
fatigue, which was entirely contrary to his usual ex-
perience. The fact is well known that he used to
walk from his house in Hampstead, a distance of four
miles, to the City Temple on Thursday morning and
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With John Bull and Jonathan
on Sunday, allowing himself plenty of time, and
taking a bath in the vestry before entering the
pulpit.
Before his last holiday he announced that he should
take up his usual work at the City Temple on the
first Sunday in September 1902, and that he would
make the experiment of preaching on the previous
Thursday to test his voice and strength. During
the last three or four months before the holidays
he invariably arranged with a brother minister or
one of his deacons to sit near the pulpit, and if
they noticed a certain sign, to come to the pulpit
and continue the service — he was afraid of a
collapse.
So far as his personal appearance was concerned
he showed little sign of weakness or illness, though
there was loss of weight and vigour. His manner
towards those about him was as cheerful and cordial
as ever.
I saw him after the morning service of Thursday,
25th September 1902, and took my leave of him, as
I was sailing on the following Saturday for a short
visit to New York. In taking my hand at part'ng
Dr Parker said, in a voice full of emotion : " God be
with you. I shall not say good-bye."
I was only a fortnight in America, and during that
time learned from the newspapers that the Doctor
preached on Sunday morning and evening, 28th
September, and again on the Thursday morning
following, but that on the next Sunday, although
no notice had been given by him, he failed to appear
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at the City Temple in the morning. Then the fact
became known that he was seriously ill, and doubts
were at once published as to whether he would ever
enter the pulpit again.
I returned to England on 25th October, and im-
mediately wrote to him to know how he was ; in
reply I received a private message to go to see
him at once. I found him sitting in an arm-chair,
his legs stretched out in front of him. He put out
both his hands to welcome me, and said : " I cannot
rise." He was much interested to hear about my
visit to the States, and asked many questions about
mutual friends. So far as his voice was concerned,
he spoke firmly and without effort. I said : " Tell
me how you really feel. Are you in pain ? " He
replied : " Yes ; in terrible pain at times, but at the
present moment I am free from pain ; but I am sure
my case is beyond medical relief, and I am glad this
is so. I have finished all my work in this world,
and I am chiefly thinking of what is going on up
there ! I long to go." I spoke to him cheerfully,
but not lightly, of his ailments. I left after the lapse
of half-an-hour. I had spoken to him of his brave
attempt to resume his work during the previous
month, and he remarked : " I was determined to do
so, even if I fell on the pulpit stairs." He alluded
with considerable feeling to an invitation sent him
by the Bishop of Ripon to use his marine residence
if he so desired. He also said that he was thankful
The Times newspaper had published his letter on
the Education Act, but added : " I shall never know,
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on this earth, what the result of this educational
controversy will be."
This was my last interview with him. I received
daily bulletins as to his health until his death, 28th
November 1902. He was buried in the same plot
of ground at Hampstead where his wife lay.
no
CHAPTER VIII
Home Life — Dr Parker and Pearl — Illustrated Letters — My Daughter
Pearl's Early Life — A Mimic — Her Studiousness — Reads Thackeray
— Effect of Toole's Acting and Others — Her First Book — Her
First Play — Education of my Sons — Dorothy — Her Marriage.
IN 1880 we removed to Porchester Terrace, Hyde
Park, to a house named by me " Sandyhook," of which
I had taken a lease of twenty-one years. This was a
charming residence, with gardens in front and rear,
and ivy covering porch and windows. Here my
second daughter and youngest child was born —
Dorothy Christine. My family then consisted of
Pearl, my eldest daughter ; John Morgan, Nelson,
and Dorothy.
Dr Parker took a deep interest in Pearl from a very
early age. He was especially fond of children, and
he delighted in their ideas. Much to Pearl's amuse-
ment, Dr Parker occasionally wrote illustrated notes
to her, of which the two following in fac-simile are
samples.
These gave infinite pleasure to my daughter, and
have been preserved with care. At a later date Dr
Parker wrote of her : " How did she begin the world
of letters ? I can tell you. She has always been a
devotee of the family ink-horn, and early she went
in even for printers' ink. Probably I was the first
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With John Bull and Jonathan
editor who received and printed the writings of
Pearl Richards. Do you wonder, then, that I feel
upon my face a sheen of reflected glory ? " Dr Parker
delighted to show his friends the copy of her first
book of any size — " A Study in Temptations," which
she inscribed: "To my first Reviewer, Dr Joseph
Parker, the first also to encourage my childish at-
tempts at literary composition ; the first to prize
work which was only remarkable for its gigantic
intentions."
Pearl from early infancy manifested traits which
indicated a faculty for literary composition. As a
child she was a keen observer of those about her,
and imitated their peculiarities of speech and manners.
She was a born mimic, inheriting this faculty from
her mother ; while through my ancestry she grew
up with perhaps unusually strong religious instincts,
manifested in early womanhood by the constant
analysis of the serious problems of life.
Upon one occasion, in a Congregational Church
where the Holy Communion was to be celebrated
the preacher requested those who desired to com-
municate to sit on the right-hand side of the church
and non-communicants on the left. To this she made
the strongest objection, because in her mind she
could not disassociate the division from the separation
of the sheep and the goats.
Her mother and I were always interested to note
the keenness she possessed in observing occurrences
that were in any way unusual, and we allowed her
to follow out the little plans she formed for amuse-
H 113
With John Bull and Jonathan
ment. As she was our only child for some time, she
invented imaginary companions to whom she told
stories by the hour. She was also fond of dressing up,
and acting plays of her own improvisation. As she
grew older her powers of mimicry were still further
developed ; and on returning from her daily walk
in the park or the streets, she greatly amused her
Mother by imitating the voices of people she had
casually seen, actually quoting snatches of the dia-
logues she had heard ; the upbraiding of one another
by poor people, threats used by mothers to their
children, or tender words spoken by sweethearts.
Strange words were caught up in this way, and re-
peated innocently in the very tone of voice used, and
accompanied with the facial expression of those who
had uttered them.
A few intimate friends who heard and saw these
child actings were greatly surprised, and urged her
Mother to check these manifestations, which she in
her better wisdom declined to do.
She became the natural leader in all gatherings of
children of her own age, and even older than herself.
Their games were always those which she suggested,
and taught to those who were ignorant of their
character. She instilled into each the enthusi-
asm and merriment with which she was liberally
endowed ; and the greatest joy always pervaded
the children's parties in my house, while she be-
came the chosen favourite of every party given by
friends.
In this way she passed from age to age in child-
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With John Bull and Jonathan
hood. When the time came for the appearance of a
governess she entered upon her lessons with en-
thusiasm, and her Mother never had to say to her :
" Go and study your lessons." The appetite to learn
grew in strength as she advanced in years. She
petitioned me and her mother to indulge in fresh
studies, and not to reduce the number of those which
were set her. She was educated in London, Boston,
and Paris — chiefly by tutors.
Her progress was such as to occasionally cause
embarrassment and surprise, to her teachers. One
lady gravely confided to her mother the fact that the
girl knew "the whole of" Thackeray, and read him
in school-hours, and she did not think Thackeray
was an author any girl of thirteen ought to be allowed
to read. As a matter of fact, no restriction was
placed upon her reading, and although she read, no
doubt, every work of fiction she could find, she also
read a great deal of history, poetry, and philosophy.
She had a love of Picture Galleries and Museums,
and went constantly to the National Gallery and the
British Museum.
She became an excellent musician, and developed
a sweet voice of great flexibility.
At an early period she indulged her cosmopolitan
instincts by inducing her nurse to place her on the
table in the nursery, and wheel the table from side
to side, while she stretched cords across the room
to hooks in the walls, and, attaching small pulleys,
drew little parcels towards herself from all quarters
of the globe.
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With John Bull and Jonathan
As soon as she was capable of writing with ease
she indulged in the composition of fiction — and this
took a singular turn. She wrote for the maid-servants
letters to their sweethearts, and the unconventionality
of these missives often led to quarrels and misunder-
standings between the lovers. It is possible that her
ironic humour was scarcely soothing to the vanity of
an adored police sergeant.
The dramatic instinct was so strong that she en-
treated me to buy a toy theatre for her, with pasteboard
figures representing the characters ; and she would
invent the story to fit the drama, making little speeches
for each character as she pushed them on to the stage.
This love of the theatre, I should confess, she may
have inherited from me.
A governess at the school she attended told my
wife in great alarm that Pearl was in the habit of
sitting on a table, with the girls around her, crying
with laughter, at her imitations of the men and
women she had met in the street.
When in her ninth year Pearl was presented to
the late General U. S. Grant. The occasion was
this. After the term of his second Presidency of the
United States ended, he made the grand tour of
Europe, and coming to London, a reception was
held at the house of Mr John Welsh, the United
States Minister. Mrs Richards and I were invited ;
but neither of us could attend, and, to her great
delight, Pearl was entrusted with a bouquet of roses,
cornflowers, and lilies, to present to the General.
This was accomplished in a very graceful manner,
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PEARL MARY TERESA CRAIGIB.
With John Bull and Jonathan
and General Grant rewarded her with a soldier's
hearty thanks.
A curious experience befell my wife, myself, and
Pearl on our first visit to Paris in 1869. The novelty
of our surroundings was delightful, and we were quite
fascinated with the city.
Pearl was then a child of three years, and we were
assured, before starting, that there was no necessity
for our taking a nurse specially to look after her.
We, however, were rudely awakened from our con-
fidence at dinner-time. This was at table d'hote, in
the hotel. Walking into the dining-room, we were
stopped by the Manager, who politely informed us
that a child was not allowed to dine with the adults
in the public dining-room. I was at first rather
indignant, but quickly saw the reasonableness of the
prohibition. The manager suggested that we should
leave our daughter in the care of the femme de
chambre, which we did, and then proceeded to our
meal. We felt that this course would be very in-
convenient, to be separated at each meal, and the
difficulty was solved by removing to a private hotel.
Here the Manageress informed us that there was a
Spanish nurse in want of an engagement stopping
in the hotel, and we engaged this young woman at
once. She had been in the service of the Queen of
Spain, who was then living with her son, the Prince
of Asturias, in her own mansion near the Arc de
Triomphe ; and here the nurse on several occasions
took Pearl to play with the Prince, who afterwards
became King of Spain under the title of Alfonso XII.
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With John Bull and Jonathan
On the first occasion I took her to the theatre,
which she had expressed a longing to attend, the
play was "The Steeple Chase;" or, " Toole in Pig-
skins," with John L. Toole playing the part of
"Tittums." To my astonishment, before he had
been on the stage thirty minutes, she began to cry,
and made such a disturbance that I was obliged to
take her out. Toole appeared as a guest in a hotel
very much neglected. He was continually ringing the
bells, putting his head out of the door, and shouting
out to the servants for first one thing — his boots, then
hot water, and finishing up each demand with the ex-
clamation : " Oh, this does make me so wild ! " Pearl
took the matter too seriously, and sympathised with
the actor so sincerely as to be completely overcome
with anguish.
Upon another occasion, when I took her to the
Haymarket to see Mr and Mrs Kendal in " Pygmalion
and Galatea," a similar experience befell me, my
daughter being overcome by Pygmalion's appeal
to the statue to return to life. She soon forgot the
sorrow of her experiences, however, and up to her
tenth year there was scarcely a week passed in which
she did not attend an afternoon performance at one or
other of the theatres, accompanied by a nurse. I re-
member taking her myself to see the late Joseph
Jefferson in " Rip Van Winkle" at the Princess
Theatre, and her appreciation of that marvellous
actor was not less sincere than my own.
As a child she went frequently on voyages to and
fro the United States, and accompanied me often on
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With John Bull and Jonathan
my journeys to France, Germany, and elsewhere.
Then she has visited friends in England, Scotland,
and Ireland.
Her taste for describing foreign places and char-
acters is due to the fact that her earliest impressions
were formed, no doubt, travelling ; and although her
life, since she was sixteen, has been mostly spent in
England, she has lived a great deal abroad, and in
many parts of the world. It is quite certain that she
has never drawn any scene, or presented any situa-
tion, or analysed any type of temperament, except
through the light of absolute personal knowledge and
observation.
Her first professional literary work was journalism
and art criticism, which she began soon after her
marriage, at nineteen, with Mr Reginald Walpole
Craigie, in February 1887.
Mrs Craigie devoted herself with great assiduity
to the serious composition of literary work, and her
first published book was entitled : " Some Emotions
and a Moral." It was published in her twenty-
third year. When this was ready for publication
she refused all help in obtaining a publisher,
and insisted that whatever she wrote should re-
ceive no other help towards publication, than the
merit there was in the composition. The MS.
was first offered by her to Messrs Macmillan,
and in returning this with a kind note, they sug-
gested that the title of the book should be altered,
and that the last chapter should be revised, when
they would be glad to become the publishers.
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This she declined to do, and the MS. was next
offered to Mr Fisher Unwin, who accepted the work
for his Pseudonym Library. At first, Mr Unwin has
since told me, he felt a little nervous as to the result;
but a week after the publication he wrote Mrs Craigie,
saying: " Your book is a success for both author and
publisher." Since that time, with one or two excep-
tions only, Mr Fisher Unwin has published all her
works.
The first play she wrote was " Journeys End in
Lovers Meeting" — a proverb, which was performed
at Daly's Theatre by Miss Ellen Terry, Mr Forbes
Robertson, and the late William Terris, and was
greatly commended. Miss Ellen Terry bought the
copyright, and has many times since appeared therein,
both at the Lyceum Theatre, London, and when on
tour in the United States.
"The Ambassador," her next play, was produced
at the St James's Theatre, under the management of
Mr George Alexander, in 1899. The success of the
piece is well known, and the play is now famous as
having enjoyed the longest run of any piece pro-
duced by Mr Alexander at the St James's Theatre.
Another highly successful play was " The Bishop's
Move," in which Mr Arthur Bourchier gave a most
touching and impressive performance of the old
French Bishop. Her one-act play "A Repentance,"
which was as generously praised as it was curiously
misunderstood, is considered by many one of her best
dramatic works. It was first produced at the St
James's Theatre, and especially performed at Caris-
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brooke Castle during the reign of the late Queen.
It has since been translated into Italian, Spanish,
and French. Possibly its subject — the first Carlist
War — was not sufficiently local for the average
London play-goer.
The question as to the education of my sons
occupied my thoughts and those of Mrs Richards
very much during their infancy. They were first
taught to read and write at home. Then, when old
enough, they went to Mr Wilkinson's school in
Orme Square, and two years later to Appuldur
Combe School, in the Isle of Wight, recently pur-
chased by a French religious community. The school
buildings were previously the residence of the Earl
of Yarborough — a most attractive place. After two
years they were entered at Eastbourne College,
and remained there until they went up to Cambridge.
My eldest son entered Trinity College, Cambridge,
and my second Trinity Hall, and each remained
the full term prescribed. On leaving Cambridge
both, from choice, entered my business establish-
ment, and after the preliminary training had been
gone through, my firm having been turned into a
limited liability company, they became directors,
and obtained an interest in the company.
In my boyhood I was very fond of reading a series
of books called the " Rollo Books," written by Jacob
Abbot, a clergyman, and a distinguished writer of
juvenile books. The " Rollo Philosophy " was re-
garded as perfect teaching for little American boys.
The series included such topics as "At Work," "At
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Play," " Vacation," and "At School"; and the Philos-
ophy included the subjects of Water, Air, Fire, and Sky.
In 1882, on one of my visits to New York, I purchased
a set of these volumes, and returned with them as
a present to my sons. I explained my early interest
in them, and their great popularity among school lads
of my day, and suggested that the books should have
an early reading. I soon discovered that neither
of my boys cared for them, and said frankly they were
not interesting to them. I said "Lend the books to
some of your schoolfellows." The result was the
same — they would not read them. I was puzzled
to know why not. The best answer I could get
was that the method was too simple, lacked fire,
and they thought them weak stuff. The teaching
of the American boy is quite as robust as the English,
age for age : I had to conclude that forty years had
wrought changes, and perhaps my favourite Rollo
Books were now read and appreciated by much
younger boys than in the days I refer to ; that tame
adventures in which some highly moral truth was
developed were not interesting. The boy of the
present day preferring the "adventures" and the
" moral " in stronger, and separate, doses.
Nelson Richards married in 1898 Dorothy Bishop,
daughter of our neighbour, Captain Edgar Bishop ;
they have two sons, Arnold and James ; but my eldest
son remains a bachelor.
In October 1902 my daughter Dorothy was married
to Mr George W. Y. Prendergast, eldest son of
General Sir Harry Prendergast, V.C., G.C.B.
122
MRS. CRAIGIE AT LANCASTER GATE.
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Directly after marriage she proceeded with her hus-
band to Scutari, Albania, where he held the post
of British Vice-Consul, and Charge d'Affaires at
Cettinge. Taken ill in 1903, he obtained leave of
absence, and on his way to England was obliged
to loiter for a while at Mentone, where he died in
January 1903, leaving one son, born in August 1902,
named Jeffrey.
123
CHAPTER IX
First Visit to a Theatre — " Romeo and Juliet " — A morning Call — Tenants
and Rent-collecting in New York — My early Acquaintance with Mr
Joseph Jefferson the Actor — Edwin Forrest — F. B. Conway —
Dan Bryant — The London Stage in 1867-68. — Mrs Dallas Glyn —
Her Gifts and Death — An Experience at Steinway Hall — Racers
through London.
FROM my earliest years I had a very unusual
inclination to visiting theatres, and went as often
as possible. The first playhouse I ever visited was
the St Charles' Theatre in New Orleans, when in
my twelfth year, when I was taken to see " Romeo
and Juliet." Mr Charles Pope, a popular young
actor in the Southern States, took the part of
Romeo, and the part of Juliet was taken by Miss
Julia Dean. A curtain-raiser preceded the drama,
entitled "The Morning Call." This was only a
duologue, in which Pope and Julia Dean took part,
and, to the disappointment of friends who took me
to the theatre, I was more interested in " The
Morning Call " than I was in Shakespeare's great
drama. I indulged my love of the theatre so much
that, while yet a boy, I had witnessed the perform-
ances of nearly every popular player of the day,
and most of the important productions of all play-
wrights. On first entering upon work in New York,
my uncle, Mr Edward Cowles Richards (to whom
124
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I have already referred as a large real estate owner
in New York), employed me to collect his rents,
which I did in the evening, after work hours. The
rents were drawn chiefly from monthly tenants.
From a list I have preserved I find I had upwards
of sixty people to call upon every month. Some
of the people occupied single floors in tenement
houses, while others occupied an entire house.
Amongst the latter was a house in East Twelfth
Street, New York, which was in the occupation of
Mr Joseph Jefferson, the famous actor, who at that
time was fulfilling an engagement at Laura Keene's
Theatre in New York, as Asa Trenchard in " Our
American Cousin." Mr Jefferson nearly always
detained me when I called for the rent to have
a little conversation with him, and I was never loth
to stay. Upon one occasion, after a summer holiday,
he told me he had been amongst the Kaatskill
Mountains, the scene of Washington Irving's story
which he had dramatised ; and also at an old Dutch
farmhouse in Paradise Valley, foot of Pocono
Mountain, in Pennsylvania, and that he had been
trying to learn to speak the Knickerbocker Dutch,
as he intended, after the run of " Our American
Cousin," to produce, if possible, the play of " Rip
Van Winkle " ; in which character he made his life-
long success on both sides of the Atlantic. To
illustrate his proficiency in the study of the Dutch
dialect he sang for me, in the presence of his wife,
the famous Dutch drinking song, and also spoke
the well-known toast : " Here's good health ; your
"5
With John Bull and Jonathan
family's good health : may you all live long, and
prosper," which I must have heard a long time
before any public audience.
During one of my calls he explained that he
should not introduce the dog "Schneider" in the
coming play, and gave a reason which I do not
remember. But I have since read that he gave the
following reply to the inquiry, " Why not have the
dog in the play?": — "I dislike realism in art.
Shakespeare tells us : ' Hold the mirror up to
Nature,' which means : ' Don't hold Nature up, but
a reflection of the thing.' " When asked : " Why do
you not refuse the cup which Gretchen offers you
at the end of the play?" he answered: "Should 'Rip'
refuse the cup the drama would at once become
a temperance play. It would take all the poetry
and fairy-tale out of it." He added later : "It would
be a deception to announce a play and preach a
sermon."
By a singular coincidence, about fifteen years later,
when Jefferson came to London for a second visit,
he rented for a time Tavistock House, Tavistock
Square, once the residence of Charles Dickens, which
was nearly opposite my own residence in Upper
Woburn Place.
Another actor who was a tenant on the Richards
estate in New York was Mr F. B. Conway, an
English actor of distinction, who, with his wife, were
both playing in the company of Mr Edwin Forest,
at Niblo's Garden, New York. Mr Forest was
said to be the cause of the Astor Place riots, when
126
STAGE FAVOURITES IN AMERICA IN THE SIXTIES AND AFTER.
With John Bull and Jonathan
Mr W. C. Macready made his first appearance in
New York — he being charged with having caused
Edwin Forest on his first appearance at Drury Lane
Theatre to be hissed. Probably the charge was
wholly untrue, as each actor was highly esteemed
by his own countrymen, and the Americans thought
fit to resent what they fancied was an insult offered
to their countryman. On Mr Macready leaving the
theatre a riot occurred, which was only quelled by
the interference of the police and military. Mr
Conway was a large and powerful man, but not quite
so robust in appearance as Mr Forest, and so he
was especially chosen by Mr Forest to play second
part to him. Conway, on entering upon the stage,
always had a good reception, but Forest was in-
variably received with greater enthusiasm.
Mr Conway, I remember, was not quite as prompt
in money matters as Mr Jefferson, and I rarely ob-
tained what was due either on my first or second call.
At last my uncle told me, as the rent was in consider-
able arrears, I was to tell him that, unless the rent
were paid, he must vacate the premises — the house
having been taken upon a monthly rental. I am
bound to admit that when the time came to deliver
the message I did so with considerable hesitancy, and
with difficulty delivered the whole message. He,
however, was not in the least perturbed, and was
most polite, and seemed greatly amused. He gave
me his answer in his best stage manner, which I have
never forgotten. Rising from his chair, he stood
in front of me, and said, with an arm upraised : " Tell
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Mr Richards that in my profession we are oft in
affluence to-day, and as poor as Job's turkey to-morrow;
but if you will do me the honour of calling to-morrow
morning I will see that the money is placed in your
hands." Then he waved a farewell with his hand,
and left the room, as if he were retiring from the
stage.
In this particular instance the actor kept his word,
and when I called the next morning he tendered
me the money with smiles, and in his most courteous
manner,
Another of my uncle's tenants was Dan Bryant, an
Irishman by birth, but a naturalised American citizen.
He was the head of the most successful minstrel
troupe in the United States, and became very pros-
perous. My uncle said to him when he came about
the tenancy : " Mr Bryant, I am quite willing to let
you this house, and, of course, I know what your
business is, and I hear on all sides that this is very
lucrative, but after all I must have a reference."
I heard this conversation myself. Dan replied : " Re-
ference ! — there will be no reference from me. I will
put up the good substantial 'soap' for the whole
year's rent in advance."
This was, of course, satisfactory, and as long as
he remained, there was no .question as to the rent.
In going through these experiences I acquired the
best possible training for the future that was before
me, in teaching me the various ways of approaching
people, engaged in various businesses.
This was another of the causes which led me to
128
With John Bull and Jonathan
become greatly interested in theatres, and seeing
the most eminent actors and actresses performing.
So I was led, soon after my arrival in London,
to visit the New Queen's Theatre in Long Acre,
where I saw for the first time Henry Irving and
John L. Toole, Lionel Brough and Charles Wyndham,
in " Dearer than Life." The leading lady upon that
occasion was Miss Henrietta Hodgson, now Mrs
Labouchere.
Soon after I found my way to the Haymarket
Theatre, where Buckstone was playing, and Miss
Madge Robertson, now Mrs Kendal, was the leading
lady. The play was "A Wife well Won."
I soon found out that there was a second piece
at the theatre, and that by following this device
I could attend two theatres the same evening,
admission after nine being half price. Into this I fell
very readily, but was not altogether satisfied with
the broken performance.
At that time Ben Webster was lessee of, and
playing at, ti\zAdelphi Theatre in " No Thoroughfare."
In his company was the charming Fechter, George
Belmore, Henry Neville, and John Billington — Mrs
Alfred Mellon as leading lady.
At the Princess Theatre I saw " The Colleen
Bawn," with Dion Boucicault and his gifted wife,
Miss Agnes Robertson, both of whom I had seen
act in New York. At the Prince of Wales Theatre
was Miss Marie Wilton, Mr S. B. Bancroft (now Sir
Squire Bancroft), and Mr Hare. The Robertson
comedies were drawing the town. Mr Bancroft's
i 129
With John Bull and Jonathan
fine impersonation of Jack Poyntz in " School " lingers
in my memory. I can yet hear his inimitable manner
in giving the reply to Farintosh, who offers him
his snuff-box, and asks : " Do you ?" " Yes, / do
everything."
Again I was present at the first performance of
Henry Irving in his first important engagement
with Mr Bateman, the American manager who took
the Lyceum Theatre for the purpose of introducing
his daughters Kate and Isabel ; but this was only a
moderate success. Mr Irving played the part of
Landry Barbau in "Fanchette," and Jeremy Diddler
in " Raising the Wind," and Jingle in " Pickwick."
Mr Bateman had thoughts at that time of re-
linguishing theatrical work, but was offered by Mr
Wills "The Bells," which he accepted, Henry Irving
playing the part of Mathias, and for this remarkable
performance of his, he became famous. This really
marked the commencement of his great career.
I visited the Gaiety Theatre to see Byron's play
of " Uncle Dick's Darling," which had enjoyed a good
run. Mr J. L. Toole took the part of Uncle Dick ;
and apart from the interest excited in his impersona-
tion of the character, and his great reputation in Eng-
land, I was anxious, in view of his impending visit
to the States, to learn what an American thought
of Mr Toole's probability of success in the States.
Mr Toole's early appearance in America was not
entirely successful, but he remained for a year, visiting
all principal cities. It was thought that he had made
a mistake in selecting Albery's play," Wig and Gown,"
With John Bull and Jonathan
as his opening play in New York. The New York
Herald called it a tedious and uninteresting play,
and added : " But not one who knew Toole that
would not have exchanged a thousand hours of " Wig
and Gown" for one of " Artful Dodger."
He revised his programme, and appeared afterwards
in the plays which had won for him such fame in
Great Britain, and was most thoroughly appreciated.
Both Mrs Craigie and her mother were my constant
companions at these performances, and at all my
visits to theatres — Mrs Craigie being at that time
from seven to eight years of age.
In the early seventies a number of the popular
actors and actresses from the United States visited
England, and I had the opportunity of witnessing
the performances of John S. Clarke, Edwin Booth,
John E. Owens, Charles R. Thorne, Stuart Robson,
Mrs John Wood, and others.
Mr J. S. Clarke played a long engagement at
the Strand Theatre. His appearance in Dr Pan gloss
in the " Heir-at-Law " was a great triumph. Mrs
John Wood was also playing at St James's Theatre,
and drew the town in her fine impersonation of
" Pocahontas, the Gentle Savage." Mr John E. Owens
had made an enormous success in America as Solon
Shingle in the play called "The People's Lawyer,"
but in London, at the Adelphi Theatre, he was unable
to excite much laughter. Owens in the course of the
play was called as a witness in the case in which
" A Bar'l of Apple Sass " was in dispute, and the fun
of the piece was supposed to begin upon his entering
With John Bull and Jonathan
the Court, and familiarly addressing the Judge : " Wai,
Squire, how dew do you do ? " — adding that he wished
to give evidence in the " Bar'l of Apple Sass " case.
The whole point, however, failed, as an English
audience did not understand what really a " Bar'l
of Apple Sass " meant.1 At the back of the Judge's
chair there was a painting of the Goddess of Justice,
with eyes blindfolded. Solon Shingle, looking at
the figure, remarks :
" Say, Judge, is that lady behind you with the sore
eyes any ways related to you, sir ? "
Finally, when the case was proceeding, he took
a great hunk of tobacco out of his cheek, which he
placed on the side of the witness-box while he gave
evidence, and the act, instead of exciting laughter,
rather disgusted the audience. After four or five repre-
sentations the piece was withdrawn, and Mr Owens
returned to the United States a disappointed man.
Charles R. Thorne and Stuart Robson appeared
at the Gaiety in Boucicault's " Led Astray," and with
success. During this engagement the Theatre Stalls
were first advanced to ics. 6d., and Dress Circle
to 75. 6d., and soon after this advance was adopted by
the principal London theatres. About forty years
ago the only music halls of any standing were the
Alhambra in Leicester Square, and " Westons " in
Holborn. About this time the attractions of " Evans'
Supper- Rooms," in Covent Garden, were on the wane.
The story of the Alhambra illustrates the remark-
able improvement which has taken place in the music
1 A Barrel of Apple Sauce.
132
With John Bull and Jonathan
halls, within the memory of living man, not only
in the size and beauty of the place and the splendour
of the ballets and other scenes presented, but also the
advance in public taste for good singing and acting,
and in the conduct and manners of the audiences.
There are those still living who remember witnessing
occurrences in the Boxes which would not be tolerated
at the present day. In 1867 there were only twelve
theatres of importance ; there are now forty-six.
This enormous growth means the greater popularity
of theatrical representations, and further, to the in-
creasing influx of visitors from the Provinces, America,
and all quarters of the Globe. The fact is well
known that these strangers are great supporters of
theatres.
A similar growth is evidenced in the present number
and character of metropolitan hotels ; the steady
increase in their number has served to raise their
style and character until they can compare with the
best and noblest to be found in the United States
or upon the Continent of Europe.
During our residence in Porchester Terrace my
wife and I became acquainted with Miss Isabelle
Dallas Glyn, who in her day had been a most suc-
cessful actress, and had taken leading parts in many
engagements with Charles Kemble, by whom she was
designated "the English Rachel," and received the
highest encomiums from Macready and Phelps. In
the height of her career she was married to Mr
Dallas, a Times critic ; but differences ensuing, they
were separated, and at the time we knew her she
133
With John Bull and Jonathan
had given up acting, and was limiting her work to
readings, and giving lessons in elocution. I introduce
her name in these recollections because of her very
interesting career as an actress ; and of the entertain-
ing faculty she had of talking on theatrical subjects,
which I was always interested to hear. Most of her
stories were of the golden era of English theatricals,
rather than of the younger actors and actresses, and
she had a never-failing supply of tales and anecdotes
which she was very fond of relating. My wife be-
came much attached to the dear old lady, and she
was a constant visitor to my house, and remained so
until her death, iQth May 1889.
One week before she died she called me to her
bedside, and pointed to two pictures on the wall.
One was a mezzotint of herself as Cleopatra, and the
other a line engraving of Sheridan. She said : " I
want to present these pictures to you, for you to
remember me by when I am dead." And she insisted
that her servant should remove them from the wall,
and carry them to my cab, at that same visit. This
happened at 13 Mount Street, Grosvenor Square.
I hesitated to accept such valuable pictures, but
nothing would serve to dissuade her from her pur-
pose. She had a long illness, and being unable to
read or give lessons her resources became much
reduced, and only during the last year of her life she
received a Royal Bounty. The Royal Literary Fund
also ministered to her wants ; and during the last two
months a fund was started by Sir Henry Irving and
Miss Ellen Terry, which secured many comforts for
134
Miss GLYN AS CLEOPATRA, 1853
(From a crayon drawing by A. SOLOMON.
With John Bull and Jonathan
her up to the time of her death, in her sixty-eighth
year.
A week before her death she told Mrs Richards
she would very much like to see Canon Farrar, to
which he gladly assented. He asked her if she had
any fear of death, and her answer was : "If I have
had the courage to live, why should I be afraid to
die ? "
At that time an American lady was visiting us,
and expressed a great wish to see her, and she gave
her consent to this. At the interview Miss Glyn
said to her : " Madam, my greatest successes in life
have been death scenes."
At her funeral in Kensal Green there was a large
attendance of professional and private friends, and
Canon Fleming was amongst the mourners.
Upon two occasions only have I been induced to
enter into speculative public entertainments. One
was the giving of a series of readings by Miss Glyn
in Steinway Hall, and another was the giving of
monologue entertainments by Mr Stephen Massett.
My wish was to revive interest in their public careers,
but the results were not satisfactory.
During my long residence in London there is little
wonder that I have received hundreds of letters
of introduction from people in all parts of the United
States. Many of these have, of course, asked for
nothing more than the usual courtesies between
residents and strangers who had the same birthplace ;
and I could not estimate now the number of parties to
whom I have acted as cicerone to the sights of London ;
With John Bull and Jonathan
or to the number of my visits to the Tower, the
British Museum, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster
Abbey, and Madame Tussaud's — always a favourite
visiting-place for Americans.
Occasionally, however, I have been sorely tried
to get into a few hours all that an American friend
demands. Upon one occasion a gentleman called
upon me, in a cab, and addressed me in the following
terms : — " I have only got three hours before I must
leave by train for Liverpool. I have never been in
London before, and want you to jump into my cab and
take me to see all that is possible in that time " — add-
ing when he saw my look of surprise : " A friend of
mine rendered me a similar service the previous day
in visiting the attractions of Paris." I took on,
and actually raced him at full speed through the Royal
Academy, which was open at the time, the British
Museum, the Tower of London, and the National
Gallery, besides pointing out places of interest in
the thoroughfares along which we drove. He ex-
pressed himself as thoroughly satisfied, and at the
close of the run effusively thanked me, adding that he
knew London as well as I did. His method of
inspecting a picture gallery was to stop at the entrance
of a room and take a sweeping glance all round, over
the four walls, then gallop off to the next room.
On some occasions, I am bound to say, I have pre-
ferred a visitor of this sort to those who, in their desire
for detail, have exhausted my patience even in looking
upon such a relic as the block, on which the head
of Lady Jane Grey was cut off.
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I remember one visitor who, after a tour of inspec-
tion round the Tower, grasped my hand, and said :
" I suppose, John, that this is a genuine show — no
' Barnum's Museum ' about this ? " I was happy to
assure him that he had at last seen a perfectly
genuine and historical show.
CHAPTER X
Cost of Living in the States and in England — American and English
Hotels — The Question of Servants, and of Clerks — A dainty
English Clerk v. A smart American — Housekeeping Expenses
and Servants — Cab and Bus Fares — Education in the United
States and Great Britain — Food — The American Society —
American Charities in London — Applicants for Relief — A Be-
nevolent Fund — Stranded in London — National Monument to
the Queen — New Year Calls — Tipping.
WHEN I had settled to come to England in 1867 I
made inquiry as to the comparative cost of living in
Boston and New York, with the cost in London.
This was somewhat difficult of accomplishment, as
at that period comparatively few Americans, other
than those who travelled for business or health, came
to England, and even those who did come were
limited in numbers, and had no housekeeping ex-
perience.
In this year, 1905, the computation, however, has
been made that 200,000 American tourists will visit
England and the Continent. The charges at the
Langham (1867) averaged for a single man, having a
small bedroom, and taking his three meals in the coffee-
room, £i a day. One was charged separate prices
for room, light, fire, and attendance ; and one penny
per sheet of notepaper or envelope, notwithstanding
that both would bear the advertisement of the hotel.
In Boston or New York a hotel of similar standing at
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that date, such as the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New
York, and the Revere House in Boston, would charge
5 dollars (£i) a day for everything, no extras what-
ever, and meals served from 6 A.M. to 12 P.M. In
other words, a visitor could eat four times a day if he
chose, and the price charged would remain practically
the same. There would be no allowance for meals
taken elsewhere, and there were no extras of any
kind — writing-paper and envelopes were freely distri-
buted in all reception-rooms. This latter fact, being
known to outside people, was frequently taken ad-
vantage of, and they would not hesitate to enter a
hotel and conduct their correspondence without pay-
ing anything for the privilege.
The greater privacy of the hotels in England
greatly impressed me, as no " loungers," or " sitters"
as they are called in America, are allowed to frequent
them. Many persons use American hotels to meet
friends, read the newspapers, and generally to pass
time which would otherwise hang heavily upon their
hands, as in a club, for which they would be called
upon to pay a subscription. Such a thing as being
met at the door by a porter in livery and asked
his business, whom he wished to see, is unknown on
the other side of the Atlantic. The doors stand
wide open, and the bars, corridors, and halls are
thronged with visitors, and outsiders alike. No ques-
tioning of any sort as to the right to be there takes
place. Under these circumstances there are persons
who will venture to walk into the dining-rooms and
take their chance of obtaining a lunch, or a dinner
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free. This is checked as much as possible by the
training of a man unknown to English hotels. At
the entrance to every hotel dining or coffee room
stands a man of well-trained memory, who takes your
hat, if you have one, and umbrella or walking-stick,
but gives you no check or number, and, even if several
hundred are present, will hand you on your coming
out your proper hat, umbrella, or walking-stick with-
out any mistake whatever. Such a man, having a
particular guest pointed out to him, can at once tell
whether he is a paying guest or not, and a mistake
is rarely made. A tip of 10 cents will reward this
attendant for the care of your belongings.
A bathroom with hot and cold supply attached to a
suite of rooms was unknown in an English hotel in
1867 ; only the public bathroom existed, for the use of
which a fee was charged. At the present time every
luxury known is provided in British and Continental
hotels. I noticed at first that the majority of people
had baths brought into their rooms, with large cans of
hot or cold water — most visitors preferring a sponge
bath in this way. Bathrooms attached to bedrooms
in hotels were not common in the United States
forty years ago.
Another difference noticeable between the personal
habits of English and American men consists in the
practice of shaving — the former carry their own shav-
ing apparatus with them, and shave themselves each
morning ; but the latter have that done for them in
the barber's shop, which is an important department in
every American hotel. There is much resort made
to the barber's shop in America, and generally his
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place is one of the largest rooms in the administra-
tion department. In the largest hotels there are
twenty or more chairs always in use, with as many
barbers in attendance, and at a busy time a visitor
has to take his turn. For a shave the fee charged is
25 cents (is.), and if haircutting were added to the
shave there would be charged a further fee of 25
cents.
Attached to the barber's department is the boot-
cleaning establishment, for the luxury of which a fee,
varying from 10 cents to 15 cents (5d. to 7^d.),
is charged. The place is fitted up with comfortable
arm-chairs, and one may read his paper or smoke a
cigar while the shining-up operation is carried out.
Boots are not usually left outside the bedroom door
on retiring. In the boot-cleaning department the work
is thoroughly done for the extra fees.
Mr Ralph Waldo Emerson relates, in one of his
essays, that an Englishman told him that when he
inquired in a New York hotel for the " Boots" he
was shown across the street, and had found Mungo
in his own house dining on roast turkey — adding, the
Londoner had said, the best thing he knew of the
country was that a man can have meat for his labour.
In England the fees for Shaving, Hair Cutting,
and Shampoo are each sixpence in well-appointed
hair -dressing shops ; in very smart establishments,
double these fees. For Boot Cleaning and " Shining "
one penny and twopence per pair is charged.
The fact is noticeable that not every man avails him-
self of the services of the barber and the shoeblack
each morning. This probably accounts for the con-
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trast between an American and an Englishman at the
beginning of the day, and the smarter turn-out of
the latter. I could not help being attracted by the
clean-shaven faces of the English, and their smartly-
polished boots and tidy appearance — and this was
the rule even with clerks in England. The average
American forty years ago would only shave three
times a week, and his boot-cleaning often would be
left until towards evening, when on his way home.
There is, however, a great improvement noticeable
now, and the better class of American shows as much
attention to his clothing and personal appearance as
the most fastidious Britisher.
In the matter of housekeeping expenses I am
bound to say that there are ways of living very
cheaply in London ; but if you were to consider the
cost as a whole, with a house and one or two servants,
the expense would equal that of any important city
in the United States.
Servants' wages are less in England than in
America ; but an English servant would not perform
as many duties as are required in an American family.
Across the Atlantic a cook in a small family, is ex-
pected to do the entire laundry work ; but in England
she would not be asked to do anything of the kind,
and allowance has to be made her for her own wash-
ing, and beer money as well.
In London the charges for conveyances — cab,
omnibus, and rail (third class) — are very much cheaper
than in New York. Car and omnibus fares in New
York are 10 cents (5d.) for any distance, and railway
travelling averages 5 cents (2^d.) a mile. Cab fares
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or hack hire averages $1.50 (6s.), and from that
up to 10 dollars for a journey of four or five miles.
As a result of this exorbitant cab and hack hire, the
majority of people when travelling have their luggage
sent on by express carriers, at a fixed price of 35 cents
per package, and use the cars and omnibuses to and
from railway stations, or steamboat landing.
With regard to food — meat, vegetables, and fruit
are all cheaper in the United States, as also are milk,
butter, and cheese. The work of the laundry is
cheaper than in England for all household and
personal linen, the labour being performed by labour-
saving machinery. Another method in America is to
contract for the laundry work being done by a laundry
company. In quite a large family I knew the
contract was at $250 (£$o) a year.
In New York the average office-boy clerk would
have a beginning salary of $1.50 (6s.) a week, which
would be increased to $2.50 or $3 (8s. or 125.) a week
before the end of one year's service if he is bright
and smart. Salesmen, book-keepers, and department
managers are all well paid, and have, on the average,
larger salaries than men doing similar work in
England. I was, entering upon business in London,
struck with the appearance of some employees. The
junior clerks or book-keepers came to their office work
in top-hats, and often carrying a walking-stick. When
asked to go on some errand, one of them, I remember,
would immediately proceed to wash his hands, brush
his hair, put on his gloves, and take stick in hand
before starting, wasting several minutes in preparation.
Should a direction be given to a junior clerk in
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a New York office in my day he would be off in
double quick time, without any thought about gloves
or walking-stick. The ordinary clerk there goes to
business ready to begin work without any of the
accessories necessary to his English prototype. A
young fellow would be greatly prejudiced in his work
at New York if he ever appeared at business wearing
a top-hat, and carrying a cane. He is required to
keep up his pace in every department to which he
may succeed.
There is much more time allowed in England over
a clerk's meals. In America a clerk is allowed half-
an-hour for his midday lunch ; in England he has
a full hour. There is no time allowance for afternoon
tea in New York or other cities, but fifteen or twenty
minutes are consumed over tea in many London
offices. In New York work begins at 7.30 A.M. ;
in London 8.30 A.M. or 9 A.M. Closing time is 5.30
P.M. in New York, and 6 P.M. in London ; while
closing time on Saturday is 5 P.M. in New York,
and 2 P.M. in London. A clerk in England will
spend from is. to is. 6d. upon his lunch ; in the
United States he is able to get a satisfactory lunch for
from 6d. to lod. This meal must be got through
with great speed by the American, which is the origin
of the term "a quick lunch." Nothing in the form
of intoxicants is ever taken during business hours
by the American youth, and, indeed, he has no wish for
any: his drink is a choice of tea, coffee, or iced water.
This may account for the greater activity of the
American lad. The boy who smokes is altogether
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a modern innovation in the United States, and the
smoking of cigarettes and pipes was much rarer forty
years ago, than now. I have noticed on my recent
visits that nearly all young fellows, from fourteen years
upwards, now smoke a pipe or cigarettes, but never
in business hours either there, or in England. Forty
years ago the non-smoking habit may be illustrated by
my own case, as I never formed the habit of smoking
until I was upwards of thirty years of age.
No American family until quite recently placed
beer, wine, or spirits on their dinner or lunch table ;
and rarely does any youth indulge habitually in
any of these beverages. At the same time, there
is no doubt whatever that intemperance is one of
the greatest evils from which America suffers. The
method of drinking is more insidious from the habit of
bar-drinking. Four, five, or six young fellows go
up to a bar, and one stands treats to the others until
the treating has gone all round. In this respect
I consider that the English youth shows greater
firmness in resisting invitations than his American
cousin. I know that frequently the head of a family,
though having neither wines nor spirits on his table,
will stop at some bar to have a drink before reaching
home for lunch or dinner. Furthermore, the American
habit was to drink spirits neat, and take a gulp of
water afterwards.
Over the sea if a man calls for brandy or whisky
he will never have the spirit measured out to him,
'as is the case in this country, but the bottle of spirit is
placed before him, and he helps himself, which is
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a dangerous custom, as he is tempted to take a far too
large dose.
At a bar like that of the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New
York, at which fifty men could stand up at one time,
the price of an ordinary drink like whisky and soda
would be 25 cents (is.), while a mixed drink like
a cocktail, or julep, would be anywhere from 25 cents
to 40 cents (is. 8d.). All drinks are iced to freezing
point summer or winter. I never had seen soda
water, or effervescing water of any kind, drunk with
spirits until I came to England.
The cost of an education in the United States in
the sixties and seventies was far less expensive than in
England. The public school system is based upon
the principle of the best possible educational ad-
vantages at most nominal charges. Excellent private
day-schools and boarding-schools charge half as much
as the same class of schools in England. A middle
class day-school, inclusive of boys' fees, for a year
of four terms of ten weeks each, with no extras, would
cost 25 dollars, while an English school possessing
similar advantages would cost ;£io. At an American
boarding-school for middle-class boys ^"40 a year
would be charged, and this would include everything
to be desired in the way of food and tuition, with
laundry, and all school-books.
There are now, and were then, of course, exceptional
schools in the United States where the fees are very
large indeed ; but this is caused by some unusual
circumstance, and is intended to make the pupils more
select. Under ordinary circumstances, the highest
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fees at any boarding-school within my knowledge was
400 dollars a year (;£8o), but in England similar
advantages would cost ^150.
There are endowed schools in the United States
which compare with Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and
Winchester ; but the fees are less. At colleges the
fees are one-half as compared with English uni-
versities.
While in England, the educational expenses have
not advanced during my residences here, but I am
able to say, on the authority of a correspondent who
has investigated the subject, that in the United States
a girl costs nearly three times as much to send to
an important school as even twenty years ago.
Vassar College declared this year (1905) an increase of
100 dollars in the yearly rate, and others have followed
this course in the charges for tuition, board, and
rooms. Besides the actual fees, a new order of things
in the way of equipment is developing. The million-
aire's daughter sets up an establishment, bringing her
own riding and driving horses, and fine dogs, for which
board is found in the vicinity of the college. The
shopping excursions are quite as likely to include a
motor, as an ink-bottle. Her spare hours are spent
riding, driving, golfing, playing tennis, and running
an automobile, for which elaborate and costly outfits
are provided for each amusement. Her rooms are
elegantly furnished ; no longer the bare little chamber
with a worn carpet, a deal chair, and an iron bedstead,
but a suite crammed with pictures, statuary, rich rugs,
couches, and artistic drapery. At certain of these
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establishments for young ladies ^500 may be put
down as the minimum annual expense. Precisely the
same conditions exist in reference to the select schools
for boys and young men.
Students, both men and women, of limited means
from New England colleges and high schools fre-
quently employ their summer holidays by acting as
table waiters during the " season " at the hotels at
White Mountains and other resorts, doing the pre-
scribed work with ability and cheerfulness. They
get their board and certain fees, which go to supple-
ment their income for educational expenses. Employ-
ment bureaus are connected with nearly all the
universities, where young men may register their
names for any kind of work they may be willing to
undertake in spare hours — even to look after heating
apparatus in private houses ; or shovelling snow to
clear paths in winter, thus getting exercise as well
as dollars.
With regard to the charities organised and carried
on in London for the relief of distressed Americans
I can speak with absolute knowledge. I remember at
a banquet of Americans held last year (1904) Mr
Choate, the American Ambassador, asked the question :
" Have any of you present ever seen a stranded
American?" The query was received with roars
of laughter. This laughter was provoked by the
image at once raised of the average American who
applied to the American resident for a donation,
always with the same ostensible object of paying
his fare back to the States. During my long re-
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sidence in London I have had visits from certainly
1000 men and women who claimed to be dis-
tressed "stranded Americans." Many of them were
utterly unworthy of assistance, their distress arising
entirely from idleness, or in consequence of leaving
America to come here without any credentials or
means of maintaining themselves, relying, as one
poor fellow once said to me : " I supposed any good,
smart American would find plenty of work to do in
London." A great factor of introducing to this country
poor and unfriended Americans has been the cattle
trade. Cattle-boats coming from the United States to
London will allow any able-bodied man, any applicant
almost, however indigent he may be, to go on board
and look after a certain number of cattle for a free
passage and food. On reaching London docks the
man is sent adrift without wages, and as empty-handed
as when he left the shores of America. Were these
men willing to work no amount of human application
and diligence would secure work for them. These
men know nothing of the character of the work
expected from them. They cannot compete with the
dock labourer either in strength or method, and
they inevitably come to grief. The America Colony
in London has assisted many of these cattle boatmen
to return to the United States — and with this result,
to see the same men turn up again later, under exactly
the same circumstances, not having profited by their
previous experience. I have been applied to half-
a-dozen times by the same identical persons, who
have been lucky to get steerage passage home, paid.
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During the last five years a society has been
formed to raise a benevolent fund for the assistance
of those who deserve help. Mr F. C. Van Duzer,
London, is the hon. secretary — the bankers to the
fund, Messrs Seligmann Bros. Any native of America
in distress may apply for assistance, and his case
will be most promptly and carefully inquired into.
Resident Americans who are subscribing to the fund
may refer to the secretary any applicant for aid.
" Frauds " will not be assisted. During the twelve
months, August 1903-1904, many pathetic cases were
relieved by the almoners of the fund.
There is also another class of Americans who
become stranded in London, who, perhaps, have been
well connected in the United States, and who, on
arriving here, have had a certain amount of funds
with them. These people, by extravagance or indul-
gence, have wasted their substance. They usually,
in the first place, apply to the Embassy or the
Consul, to American bankers or merchants in busi-
ness, and if any of these classes will start a sub-
scription for them then they will search the directory
for every American name they can find, to whom
application is made.
Dining on one occasion with the Deputy Consul-
General, who had filled that important office for
over forty years, in reply to my question as to
how many of those who had sacredly promised
on reaching home to refund the advance made to
them had fulfilled their promise, he said : " Not
one had ; but on one occasion a sum of los. 6d.
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was returned by a poor woman whom I had once
assisted."
In my own experience I may safely say that I
have sheaves of little scraps of paper with addresses
and promises to pay amounts varying from £i to ^5,
which would suffice, if they could be cashed, to found
several Sunday school libraries.
Before the establishment of the Benevolent Fund
I adopted the plan of assisting only such applicants
as would permit a cable being sent to their relatives
or friends in the States, asking funds to be cabled
to my care. In few instances would the applicant
allow this, urging they did not want to distress their
friends, or did not wish them to know of their help-
less condition. " But," I would reply, "you are
perfectly willing that I, a total stranger, should know
this, and ask me to contribute to your necessity, and
this is the only method by which I will assist you."
I did not make many loans upon these stringent
conditions, probably for the reason, in most cases,
that the funds of friends in the United States had
been well worked upon before they came to me
at all.
I remember one instance of a widow and her two
daughters who came with a very pitiful tale. I asked
them if no one in the United States would come to
their assistance if they knew of their condition. They
said they had an uncle in New Jersey who they
believed would respond. They were very reluctant
that a cable should be sent to him, but assented.
So I wired these words: " Cable sixty pounds for
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desperate necessity, and passage home." This was
signed by one of the daughters. I forwarded the
message, and told them to call next morning for the
reply. As a matter of fact, the reply came the same
night ; and I took this to their lodgings, where
they were apprehensive of being turned out on
account of the arrears which they owed. The answer
I handed to them was in the following terms : — " Have
cabled sixty pounds. Apply Bank." I scarcely
ever remember witnessing such expressions of joy
and relief in my life. They sent a message down
to the landlady to have her bill ready by eleven
o'clock next morning ; and the ladies returned home
by the first ship. This was the only instance of a
satisfactory response coming to any message to
relatives sent by me.
The Annual Report of the American Society
Benevolent Fund for 1905 has just been issued by
Mr F. C. Van Duzer, the Hon. Secretary, and this
shows that no fewer than 700 distressed Americans
applied for relief. From this number 1 1 8 were found
unworthy of assistance, and put upon the Black
List; 126 made a second call on being told
that proofs, which they alleged they had, must be
produced to confirm their statements ; 462 were
assisted in various ways ; and a total of ,£80 was
refunded to the Society, contributed by 27 different
individuals, which is very pleasant to record.
In 1895 the American Society in London was
established. The declared object of the Society was
the promotion of patriotic and social life among
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Americans residing in London. Dinners were to
be given on Washington's Birthday, 4th July, Thanks-
giving Day, and any citizen of the United States was
eligible for election by the general committee. At
the preliminary meeting, held at the United States
Consulate in March 1895, the Society was formally
constituted, and the following gentlemen elected to
form a permanent committee : —
Ex-officio — the American Ambassador, the Ameri-
can Consul - General, the United States Military
Attache, the United States Naval Attache, Benjamin
F. Stevens, Chairman ; Henry S. Wellcome, Vice-
Chairman ; H. B. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary and
Treasurer. Members of Committee — Poultney Bige-
low, Frank S. Blake, Frank E. Bliss, George H.
Boughton, Walter H. Burns, R. Newton Crane,
Roland R. Dennis, John A. Ferguson, Thomas L.
Field, John G. Meiggs, George A. Mower, Howard
Potter, James R. Roosevelt, Ballard Smith, Colonel
James L. Taylor, Frederick C. Van Duzer, Henry
White, and John Morgan Richards.
The lines of the Society were modelled upon those
of the New England Society, and the Southern
Society of New York.
The inauguration banquet took place at the Cafe
Royal, Regent Street, igth April 1895, with the
American Ambassador, the Hon. Thomas F. Bayard,
in the chair. This Society has greatly prospered, and
has now a large membership. The banquets which
are given are regarded as important events ; and a new
chairman is elected each year from the governing
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committee. I had the honour of being elected chair-
man in 1901-2. The Society has been the means
of promoting good will and friendship not only
amongst Americans, but between them and English
representative men who have been invited to the
banquets, and there are many Englishmen affiliated
members. The American Ambassador for the time
being is always the chief guest.
The following copy of a toast list at the 4th July
banquet, 1897 — the Diamond Jubilee Year of H.M.
the Queen — will give an excellent example of the
proceedings : —
THE QUEEN
Proposed by the CHAIRMAN.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Proposed by the Chairman, R. NEWTON CRANE, Esq.
OUR AMBASSADORS
Proposed by the Right Rev. the BISHOP OF NEW YORK
Response by His Excellency the American Ambassador,
the Hon. JOHN HAY,
and
His Excellency the Hon. WHITELAW REID
(Special American Ambassador to the Queen's Jubilee).
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE
Proposed by the Hon. ALEX. W. TERRELL,
(ex United States Minister to Turkey).
Response by the Rev. DR MILBURN,
(Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives).
THE COMMUNITY OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES
Proposed by the Hon. A. E. STEVENSON
(ex Vice- President of the United States).
Response by the Right Rev. the BISHOP OF ALBANY.
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THE CHAIRMAN
Proposed by J. L. TAYLOR, Esq.
(Vice- Chairman of the American Society in London).
Response by the CHAIRMAN.
At these banquets held during the last ten years
the most distinguished men in every department of
English and American Society have been present.
Numerous efforts have been made to establish in
London an American club, with club premises and
an organisation on the lines of the best English clubs
— thus far, such efforts have not been successful.
In 1901, when a public subscription was opened
in London towards a national monument to the late
Queen Victoria, the committee of the American
Society addressed a letter to Lord Esher, the hon.
treasurer of the fund, suggesting that Americans
might be allowed to subscribe. The following reply
was received by the hon. secretary, Mr F. C. Van
Duzer : —
" DEAR SIR, — I have laid before the King the sug-
gestion, which you were good enough to make, that
the American Society should be allowed to add a
contribution to the fund for the Memorial to Queen
Victoria, and it is needless for me to say that His
Majesty was touched by the spirit in which the offer
was made on behalf of many who, though not subjects
of the Crown, are united to us by blood and by ties
of friendship.
"In accepting, with gratitude, the proposal of the
American Society, may I be allowed to add that the
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Memorial will, in all probability, assume a form which
would permit of a clear designation for all time of
the offering made in memory of the Queen by the
citizens of the United States? — Yours faithfully,
"ESHER."
The subject was promptly taken up by an appeal
issued in the following terms : —
" There is practically a unanimous feeling that
Americans resident in London, citizens of the great
Republic of the West, and descendants of Great
Britain's first colonists, would be gratified to have
the privilege of joining in this memorial, in order
to demonstrate in some fitting manner the affection
and reverence they have always felt for that unique
and illustrious personality which, to the loss of the
whole world, has recently passed away. It is be-
lieved that all Americans who have lived in Great
Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria will desire
to associate themselves with this tribute to her
memory, for by her wise administration of domestic
and foreign affairs, they have not only been protected
in their persons and accorded equal liberties and
privileges with her subjects, but have been given
the largest encouragement for the practice of their
professions and the development of their business
interests. A committee will at once be formed in
America to receive subscriptions from our fellow-
countrymen there, it having been made manifest,
from the widespread sympathy expressed throughout
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the United States with Great Britain in the national
loss she has sustained, as well as from the universal
testimony to the goodness and graciousness of the
late Queen, that a number would gladly embrace an
opportunity of subscribing to a fund such as is out-
lined above."
I think ^"2000 and over was subscribed. The
National Monument is embraced in the great work
now (1905) proceeding in St James's Park.
Forty years ago the ist of January, New Year's
Day, was observed throughout the United States
as "the Ladies' at Home Day," and every lady
expected her gentlemen friends to pay their respects
to her upon that day. Calls began at n A.M., and
went on until 10 P.M. The blinds of the house
would be drawn, the gas lighted, and callers always
appeared in evening dress. Every drawing - room
would have a table set out with wine, cake, and
light refreshments ; and, while the calls were of the
most formal character, we were expected to wish
the hostess "A Happy New Year." Afterwards
men would boast of having made 300 or 400 calls
in the day. On such an occasion men who had
not been very prudent at the beginning would find
themselves greatly embarrassed before their calls were
finished.
This custom has been practically abandoned now.
The custom now prevailing is to fasten a card-basket
to the door knob, so that callers simply drop their
cards into the basket, and pass on. Whether this
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reform is due to the gentleman or the lady I do not
know, but the ist of January no longer demands
the social observances of former years.
In 1867 the sending of New Year cards, Christmas
cards, and Easter cards was unknown in the States,
but since that year the custom has grown up, and
is now popular in America.
The question of " tipping " both in England and
abroad, which has grown to such great dimensions
as to threaten the curtailments of many social pleas-
ures, and increase the cost of many resources of
civilisation, is too large to discuss in a book of
reminiscences merely. I can only put on record the
fact which is within my own experience, that the
"tips" given very readily a few years ago for
real services rendered at hotels, restaurants, railway
stations, and on board steamers have now become
a tax. Domestics, and upper servants, porters,
waiters, and stewards make impertinent remarks, if
the gratuity tendered does not come up to the in-
flated notion they possess of what a " tip " should
be. Americans themselves, by ostentatious gifts to
the servants and employes of their friends, are much
to blame for the state of affairs in question. Those
merely passing through the country can make one
tip go a long way. They might reconsider their
liberality if they were residents or employers.
158
CHAPTER XI
The Academy — Scheme of Academy Crowns — London Forty Years ago
— Footsteps of the Martyrs — Middle Row disappears — Opening
of the Viaduct — Alterations in Buildings and Streets — Railways —
Baron Grant and Leicester Square — Athletics — English the better
Oarsmen— Field Sports— Mr Cooke of Leeds— The Isle of Wight
— Steephill Castle.
THE association which I had with the late Dr Parker
in certain newspaper ventures, excited my further in-
terest in literary journals, which I was in the habit
of reading from week to week ; and particularly in
reviews of books. Therefore in 1894 I became
proprietor of The Academy, a weekly journal devoted
to book reviews, and the consideration of interesting
literary questions, under the editorship of Mr C. Lewis
Hind. There are points about the history of this
journal which are of great interest. Mr John
Murray founded the paper in 1869, and Dr Apple-
ton became the first editor. Matthew Arnold and
Arthur Hugh Clough were contributors to the first
number which appeared. At Dr Appleton's death,
in 1879, Mr C. E. Doble succeeded to the editorial
chair, and two years later he was followed in that
post by Mr J. S. Sutherland Cotton. Under his
editorial care for sixteen years The Academy flourished,
and became an organ of the highest modern scholar-
ship. Amongst other contributors were Professor
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Huxley, William Morris, Professor Tyndall, Walter
Pater, Mark Pattison, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mr
Andrew Lang, and others.
In order to increase the interest in this paper I
offered in 1897, 1898, and 1899 prizes of 100
guineas and 50 guineas for the two best books of the
season, the scheme being termed "Academy Crown-
ing," and the readers of the journal voting the awards.
Thus in 1897 Mr Stephen Phillips was awarded
the 100 guineas for his volume of poems, includ-
ing " Marpessa" ; and Mr William Ernest Henley re-
ceived 50 guineas for his " Essay on the Life,
Genius, and Achievement of Burns." In 1898 Mr
Sidney Lee received 50 guineas for his Life of
Shakespeare ; Mr Maurice Hewlett 50 guineas
for "The Forest Levers"; and Mr Joseph Conrad
a similar sum for "Tales of Unrest." For 1899
there were so many competitors selected that six
sums of 25 guineas were awarded, and these
were taken by Mr W. B. Yeats for "The Wind
among the Reeds " ; to Miss Gwendoline Keats for
"On Trial"; Mr Hilaire Belloc for " Danton : a
Study"; Mr G. M. Trevelyan for "England in
the Age of Wycliffe " ; Mrs Garnet for her transla-
tion of the novels of Turgenieff; and Mr H. G.
Graham for " The Social Life of Scotland in the
Eighteenth Century." That this scheme was greatly
appreciated, was evidenced by the letters received
from the authors.
In 1900, however, the scheme was abandoned for
a system of wider interest, in which amateur authors
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were encouraged by liberal awards, to contribute
essays, on general and miscellaneous subjects to the
journal.
Under Mr Hind's editorship the contributors in-
cluded many of the best - known names in every
department of English literature. This was note-
worthy and interesting work.
In 1903, becoming the purchaser of the Times
publication Literature, I incorporated that journal
with The Academy, but, in February 1905, I sold
the copyrights to Sir George Newnes, under whose
direction the title " Literature " has been dropped,
and the original name of "Academy" alone pre-
served.
During my proprietorship there was only one
change in the editorial department, Mr Hind
being succeeded after seven years by Mr W.
Teignmouth Shore, who conducted the paper until
the final transfer was made.
The present owner has, of course, created a new
staff for the conduct of the journal.
When I came to London in 1867 the Holborn
Viaduct, on which is my present business establish-
ment, was not constructed.
In the centre of High Holborn there was still
standing Middle Row, comprised of a number of
almost disreputable houses and shops, greatly to
the hindrance of locomotion — a blot upon the
highway, bearing strong proof of the folly of that
authority which suffered so strange a blot to exist
where the city authority exercised no jurisdiction,
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The Middle Row was removed, and the Viaduct
was opened on 6th November 1869, and on that occa-
sion my ambition to distinguish myself was so great
that I stood against the barricade at the Holborn
side for a long time, awaiting the lowering of the
bars, that I might be one of the first to walk over
the new Viaduct upon the day of opening. Not
satisfied with that achievement, I also mounted an
omnibus which crossed, and sat beside the driver,
to whom I suggested that he should get himself
photographed sitting upon the bus, and sell the
pictures to such of his passengers as shared the
front seat with him, as a souvenir of the occurrence,
and this he told me on subsequent occasions had
turned out a profitable venture to him. The official
portion of the ceremony was performed by H.R.H.
the Prince of Wales
The Queen, in 1873, unveiled the equestrian statue
of the late Prince Consort which now stands upon
the west end of the Viaduct.
Many great improvements have also been made
in this neighbourhood, forming portions of the great
scheme for remodelling the whole of the metropolis.
Blackfriars Bridge was in course of construction in
1867, and so also was the Thames Embankment.
The Bridge was opened in November 1869, and the
northern portion of the Embankment in July 1870.
In the matter of street buildings which have been
improved, I remember how the Holborn Casino was
changed into the Holborn Restaurant, and the old
supper - rooms, and dancing - hall became a famous
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dining-place and hostelry. The Argyle* Rooms, in
the neighbourhood of Piccadilly Circus, have disap-
peared, and also the Cremorne Gardens at Chelsea.
Shaftesbury Avenue has been wholly constructed
in my time, all the improvements of Piccadilly Circus
carried out ; and the thoroughfare widened and im-
proved at Hyde Park Corner, where for so many
years the old Duke of Wellington sat his horse on
the top of an arch.
The sweeping changes now going on in the con-
struction of the new road from Holborn through
Kingsway and Aldwych to the Strand mark the
era of far-reaching improvements, which will be
carried out in due course when this one is completed.
The Metropolitan Railway Underground System
has been fully organised, and one of the attractive
sights to American visitors has been a journey on
the Inner Circle.
One visitor said Americans " will not descend to
a train ; we prefer to ascend — hence our elevated
railway." All the same, in 1905, New York has a
subway tube service twelve miles in length.
Cleopatra's Needle I saw set up on the Embank-
ment, after the adventurous voyage, so fatal to a
number of English sailors, through the Bay of
Biscay. This is a noble monument, a gift to the
nation realised by the generosity of Sir Erasmus
Wilson.
Leicester Square in 1867 was nothing better than
a receptacle for rubbish, and within a miserable iron
fence, enclosing an open space, the dilapidated
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equestrian statue of George I. was the butt for all
the practical jokes of fast youths.
Mr Albert Grant saw his opportunity for doing a
good deed, and to him the metropolis is indebted for
possessing at the present day, one of the prettiest
open spaces in London. He bought up the interests
of all the owners, laid out the space as garden
ground, with winding paths, flowers, and shrubs, and
adorned the whole with the figure of Shakespeare, sur-
rounded with the busts of the eminent men who, at
various periods, resided in the square, or the immedi-
ate neighbourhood. I remember well the day ap-
pointed for the formal opening. This was to have
been the gracious work of the Prince of Wales, now
King Edward ; but Mr Grant, who at the time had
bought a title of " Baron," had the misfortune to oc-
cupy a considerable amount of space in the news-
papers owing to his connection with the Emma
Mine, — the Californian Eldorado as many hoped,
and the public favour was withdrawn from him :
officials and distinguished persons in art, literature,
and politics, were absent, and the occasion was with-
out glory. Notwithstanding the gift of the square,
the public of London turned their backs upon the
Baron.
In the world of athletics, the first international
event I witnessed was the boat race, between the
students of Harvard and Oxford, from Putney to
Mortlake, upon the Thames, which took place in
1869, and resulted in the defeat of Harvard. I saw
the race from the river-bank near Hammersmith.
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For about half the race Harvard led, and people
shouted : " They will win " ; but as they passed where
I stood the shout was changed to : " They are pumped."
This was the first occasion I ever heard that word
applied to the state of collapse into which the
American champions had fallen.
Since that time I have witnessed many international
contests of every kind between the universities, in
the course of which the Americans have occasionally
come off triumphant. In rowing, however, the point
is generally conceded that the English crews are
decidedly the better oarsmen.
When I was a boy, and living in the State of
Mississippi, I was, as all American lads, very fond
of horse riding and shooting, and had many oppor-
tunities of indulging the taste : and, being much about
fields and woods, I was regarded as by no means an
indifferent shot for a youngster. But for many years
before coming to England, these exercises had been
almost entirely abandoned. In the year 1890, how-
ever, I found an agreeable opportunity for testing
my skill in both arts — riding and shooting. This
came to me through making the acquaintance of Mr
Alf Cooke of Leeds, who was the head of the largest
printing works in Yorkshire, and who rented from
the Earl of Londesborough a shooting of 1500 acres
of land at Scoreby, near York, some distance from
his own residence, Weetwood Hall, near Leeds. Mr
Cooke was a man who had enjoyed a remarkably
successful career, and was wholly a self-made man,
and while a great worker at his business found
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opportunity to set aside certain days of the week
during the shooting season to indulge in field sports
in the society of invited friends, and share his spare
time with them. On my first visit I was rather
reluctant to join the party with guns — all practised
shots — until I had had the opportunity of testing my
latent powers. This opportunity was given me, and
I quickly discovered that what I learned as a boy
was not altogether lost, and though by no means a
crack shot, I was able to acquit myself fairly well.
For nearly ten years in succession, up to the period
of his death, I uninterruptedly enjoyed a visit to Mr
Cooke's place every shooting season for sport
amongst the partridges and pheasants. I will own,
however, to a few lessons at the Shooting School at
Willesden.
My American friends will, I am sure, be glad
to read further details of the sport I had, because
the American method is of an entirely different
character.
I generally travelled with my host from London
on the Friday night, and we spent Saturday in the
fields shooting. During my repeated visits we
became fast and intimate friends, and I had the
greatest appreciation of his generous hospitality.
The shooting parties were composed of noteworthy
and stalwart Yorkshiremen, who greatly enjoyed
days spent in the coverts, or on the moors. The first
party in which I was included numbered eight guns,
and I was in doubt, considering the character of the
fields over which we were to shoot, whether I could
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keep up with the rest. The ploughed land and the
beetroot and potato vines made walking very heavy,
and the soil clung in heavy masses to one's boots ;
but I am glad to say that, although considerably
fatigued by the luncheon hour, I was quite keen to
resume the shooting, and continued in my place until
the close of the day's programme. Notwithstanding
the weather, on every occasion when I joined a
shooting party I was able to hold my own to the
finish.
Sportsmen's " kit," or outfit, deserves a word or
two. The Englishman, while certainly approving
the newest and smartest of morning clothes and
evening dress of all descriptions, has a great contempt
for a new shooting or riding costume, a new gun-
case, saddle, or boots. Some method of introducing
a touch of antiquity into these essentials has been
discovered, and with best results, as one's " outing"
clothing must wear out in time. However, the tailor,
gunsmith, and saddler must have proved equal to
the occasion, for one rarely meets the "spick-and-
span " costume which figures in illustrations in books
and newspapers.
The same conditions apply to golf and motoring
outfits. The English tourist suit, of the large-check
pattern, with breeches and long stockings, familiar
to readers of Punch, and caricatured in American
illustrated journals, is as rarely seen nowadays as
the " old times " enormous diamond pin ostentatiously
displayed in the shirt front of the supposed "rich
American."
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The plan pursued on these shooting expeditions
was the one common to all throughout England for
both partridge and pheasant shooting. All dogs
are kept to the rear, and only come to the front to
find the fallen bird. In pheasant shooting the guns
are stationed at different points, and beaters are sent
out to drive the birds forward. In every covert
shooting there is one position which is called " the
hot corner," near which, after the woods have been
thoroughly beaten, the guns take up positions in the
open. I have frequently seen men who could drop
two birds at a time, with right and left hand shots.
Sport such as this cannot fail to be enjoyed
thoroughly.
In partridge shooting the fields are " walked up,"
a line is formed by the sportsmen, and a gamekeeper
at right and left. At a signal given all steadily move
forward, separated by forty to fifty feet. The birds, in
coveys of ten to twenty, rise on hearing the footsteps.
They may rise from any point, and those guns get
the chance that are in range ; but it is not unusual
for a very keen sportsman to "wipe the eye" of the
" next in line " comrade, and drop the bird seen at
longer range — on the outside line, next the head
gamekeeper.
Lunch was usually taken in the gamekeeper's
cottage ; and if the shooting areas were far apart
Mr Cooke always arranged for a brake to convey
the party from one portion of the estate to another.
In the United States the system of shooting quail,
partridges, prairie chickens and the like, is to " shoot
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over dogs." Parties divide up, arranging the area
each will work. More often men go out singly with
a dog, letting a boy, or guide follow, to carry game.
" Pointers and setters " are well trained in America.
The eastern and middle States are now too densely
populated and built over to encourage sportsmen,
one must go to the Southern States, the Far
West, or the wild Adirondack region of New York
State for important game of any kind. Shooting
and fishing clubs of large membership flourish in
all favourable localities. Shooting, however, as a
popular pastime has not the same attraction in the
United States for gentlemen, which prevails in
England.
In 1900 — on the last occasion of my visit to
Yorkshire — Mr Cooke was in failing health, and rode
with the shooting party on a well-trained pony, which
allowed him to shoot from the saddle ; but his friends
were saddened to see the change which had taken
place in their host. He died in 1901, after a long
and painful illness.
Mr Cooke was a remarkable man. He was one
of three boys born in Leeds of humble parentage — all
of whom achieved wealth by their own industry, and
attained good positions. I refer to the late Colonel
North, and Mr Sampson Fox. Mr Cooke became
Mayor of Leeds, and at the time of his death was
an alderman, and chairman of the great waterworks
committee, and other public trusts of Leeds.
He was a very witty man in conversation, and had
the activity and buoyancy of a boy up to the period
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of his last illness, and was greeted respectfully by
every class of people with whom he came in contact.
I attended his funeral in the churchyard of St
Chad's, Headingley, Leeds. The churchyard was
crowded with people, all anxious to show their
esteem and regard for the deceased.
I have often been asked why it is that in
London, where there are so many American visitors,
there should not be an American newspaper which
would give in detail, questions and occurrences
specially affecting American people. Several ex-
periments have been made in this direction, and not-
ably The New York Herald^ which gave to Americans
and Britons alike a New York re'sumd every morning
for something like a year. This proved to be an
entire failure as to financial results, and was with-
drawn.
Several Anglo-American weekly papers have at-
tempted to get hold of the reading public in this
country, but, with the exception of The American
Register, without great success. In Paris, how-
ever, The New York Herald publishes a Paris
edition, which has now attained the position of a
fine property ; and is the only instance on record
where an American daily paper has prospered and
rewarded the projectors. Americans are of opinion
that all really important events are covered by the
news given by the London daily papers, and there
are also stock quotations and money market details
which are ample for all necessary purposes.
I have made very few journeys in England in
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pursuit of business — such travelling as I have enjoyed
having been exclusively for pleasure and sight-seeing,
though in the course of my thirty-eight years' re-
sidence I have probably visited every place of note
or importance. Nearly all our summer holidays
have been spent in the Isle of Wight, which I was
first induced to visit in consequence of a call made
upon me by the editor of an Isle of Wight newspaper,
who laid before me an illustrated edition of his paper
containing views of the sea-front at Ventnor, and
of the Downs behind. His eloquent descriptions of
the delights of the fragrant island were not to be
resisted, and I decided to pay a visit, to see for
myself whether the praise bestowed on the island
was just, or exaggerated. In May 1873 the visit
was made, and I found that every expectation which
had been made as to climate, scenery, and general
delight with the place, was more than realised ; and
though we once spent a summer in Scotland, and
other holidays at Eastbourne, Folkestone, Lowestoft,
and Brighton, we never found any district which
so fully came up to our requirements and wishes
as the Isle of Wight ; and this has practically been
our summer home for more than thirty years. We
usually engaged a furnished house in Ventnor for
several months at a time. Our favourite home for
several summers was at Rock Cottage under the care
of our good friends, Mr and Mrs Thomas Gibbs.
In 1899 I rented from Lord Ampthill the property
known as Norris Castle, in East Cowes, which over-
looked the harbour and the Solent. We went into
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With John Bull and Jonathan
residence in August, and remained there until the
end of November.
During this year the Prince of Wales met with
an accident to his leg, and spent nearly the whole
summer on board the Osborne in Cowes harbour — the
Queen being in residence at Osborne — and because of
the presence of Her Majesty and the Prince, at the
same time this was probably the most interesting
period ever known in the Isle of Wight.
The following year I rented "Old Park," the well-
known estate of the late William Spindler, Esq.,
which is situated between St Lawrence and Niton,
a charming and delightful residence, with beautiful
gardens and ornamental grounds overlooking the
Channel, and about ten miles west of the Needles.
In 1903 I bought Steephill Castle, an estate near
Ventnor, having rented the Castle for three seasons
previously ; finding the place exactly suited to our
wishes I was glad of the opportunity to purchase.
Years ago the late Queen Victoria and the Prince
Consort were constant visitors to the grounds, and sat
on the South Terrace, now the Victoria Terrace ; and
here later came the unfortunate Empress of Austria
to reside for a season. The Empress' room, on the
ground floor, was her favourite apartment.
On the estate is a cottage built by the Earl of Dysart
when Governor of the Isle of Wight, 1792 ; and I have
recently restored this interesting, ivy-embowered struc-
ture. Steephill Castle itself was designed by Sanderson,
who was the architect responsible for the restoration of
the Henry VII. Chapel in Westminster Abbey.
172
CHAPTER XII
Walking and Driving Tours in England — Widows as Publicans — Young
America in England and Young England in the United States —
The Alien American — An " Unnaturalised Alien" — Firms of
Americans in London — Continental Experiences — A Visit to
Canada — Holland — Railway Travelling — Porters and Porters.
IN 1883 I enjoyed the privilege of a pedestrian
tour in England with my old friend, Mr W. P. Ward
of New York — one of the original partners of Demas
Barnes & Co. We began by walking from London
to Oxford, which occupied us four days. The follow-
ing year I went upon a similar tour with Mr Ward
in North Wales. Starting from Llandudno we
ascended Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales,
and after descending, walked to Bangor.
Previously, in 1872, I took a walking tour round
the Isle of Wight with Mr F. C. Van Duzer, the
son of my partner at that time. Starting from
Ventnor, we made the tour of seventy miles in a
little over four days.
In 1888 I took my first driving tour, which was from
London to Leamington, the route lying through
Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Great Malvern ;
returning through South Wales, Bristol, Gloucester,
Somersetshire, Oxfordshire to London. The run
was through a notable country, the associations
historical, and the whole experience was most agree-
With John Bull and Jonathan
able. My son Nelson was with me on this journey.
The vehicle we used was a light dogcart, and we
generally covered from twenty to thirty miles a day.
This was the first opportunity I had in England of
renewing my Californian experiences.
In 1889 I took another route, this time driving
through the Thames Valley to Oxford, and then
through Berkshire and Herts back to London —
making a tour of 200 miles. One amusement we
had on this tour was the making a collection of the
names of all the public-houses which we passed, the
result being somewhat amusing in character. The
number of "White Harts," " Red Lions," " White
Swans," " King's Heads," I dare not record.
I have introduced the subject of these drives
and walking tours, which were not eventful, that I
might refer to the wonderful country roads and foot-
ways which one traverses in almost every part of
England, in marked contrast with the distinctly
rough driving and walking, one must experience in
nearly all sections of the United States. The
English roads everywhere are like an American
trotting race-course, and at all seasons of the year.
" The wayside inns " and hostelries of England have
been described by many able writers, and I only
wish to confirm all that has been said in their
favour — a hearty welcome, simplicity, and comfort
of the old-fashioned type. The traveller's reward
is assured, whether calling at noonday, or for the
dinner, bed, and breakfast. One is also glad to
escape the " menu " card, and leave everything to
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With John Bull and Jonathan
the judgment of " mine host." The tap -room and
bar is a feature of all countryside inns, and one
hears amusing if not instructive conversation.
One extraordinary circumstance attracted my atten-
tion in my walking and driving tours — namely, that
at nearly every inn and public-house at which we
stopped the house was conducted by a woman, and
in many instances by a widow and her daughters.
Upon questioning my friends after my return, the
general opinion was expressed that the fact disclosed
the fatal effect of a constant tippling on the part of
the husband, the wife not readily falling into that
bad habit.
I have often been asked as to the possibilities
likely to follow when a young American comes
to London with a view to acquiring a knowledge
of business, and ultimately establishing himself in
England. Long observation has led me to the con-
clusion that an American's chances are by no means
favourable in any line of business. American friends
have frequently urged me to take their sons into my
employ as clerks or travellers, and in no instance
has the trial resulted in a satisfactory way. The
whole conduct and habit of business in England, are
entirely different from what is current in America.
The currency differs, the methods of the people
differ ; and the conduct of men is entirely dissimilar
to what is observable in the United States. American
youths are submissive enough, but greatly fail in the
matter of reverence for their elders, and for those
who are really set in authority. They have no in-
With John Bull and Jonathan
tention to be discourteous or rude, in the slightest
degree, yet they invariably seem to be regarded by
Englishmen as too full of " bounce." In my judg-
ment, tact and good manners are good capital, and
are as important as a good banking account.
jfhese very differences apply with the same urgency
against the prospect of a young Englishman succeed-
ing in the United States. The Briton's dignity and
manner are apt to suggest to an American employer
that he has not got any "go in him." To my mind,
foreigners of all countries have an excellent chance
of succeeding in America if they are quick to adapt
themselves to the requirements of the country.
Englishmen and foreigners generally will succeed
in the United States as merchants, traders, farmers,
and labourers. The climate and general air of
freedom in the States seems to stimulate them to
put forth their best energies.
The present population of the United States is
set down at 70,000,000, which includes 30,000,000
born of almost every foreign country, and the major
number have become naturalised American citizens
— a process which is easily gone through — but in my
opinion very few Americans settled in England ever
become naturalised citizens.
About fifteen years ago I was offered the honour
of being elected a member of one of the City Com-
panies of London, and when I received the papers
relating to membership I discovered that I was not
eligible unless I first became a naturalised citizen of
Great Britain, and took the oath of allegiance. This,
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however, I was reluctant to do, and, therefore, my
name was withdrawn. I am, therefore, in this curious
position — I cannot vote for any Member of Parlia-
ment, nor hold any public office other than in local
parochial matters such as a School Board or a Board
of Guardians of the district in which I reside — but I
am not excused from paying in full all rates and
taxes. My disqualification to vote for a parliamentary
candidate is continually being thrust before me ; but
rarely have I ever received one more absurdly igno-
rant than the last, which came to hand under date
1 9th August 1905, which reached me at Steephill
Castle. The objection is taken by one whose
name I mercifully conceal. There are two ob-
jections, and the second is: "That you are an un-
naturalised alien ! " Even now some men insist,
with Dogberry, to be written down "an ass." The
non-naturalisation has, however, certain advantages,
because I cannot be called upon to serve upon any
juries other than a coroner's jury. I have been
summoned on a great many juries, but have always
been excused because I am an alien, and a man
must, by law, be tried by a jury of his countrymen.
But I have never encountered any difficulty in con-
sequence of my non-naturalisation, and certainly my
experience proves that equal justice in law is meted
out to the native born, the naturalised, and non-
naturalised alike.
When I came over in 1867 there were not ex-
ceeding a dozen firms of American origin, including
the American banking houses. To-day there are many
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hundreds engaged exclusively in American manu-
factures and productions. The principal American
banking houses to which visitors from across the
Atlantic brought letters of credit to this country in
1867 were Messrs Brown, Shipley & Co., Messrs
Barings & Co., Messrs George Peabody & Co.,
Messrs Jay Cooke, M'Culloch & Co. Messrs George
Peabody have been succeeded by Messrs J. S.
Morgan & Co. Mr George Peabody, besides being
a banker, was also a well-known philanthropist.
Many years before his death Mr Junius S. Morgan
became his partner, and succeeded to the business.
The second time I visited Paris was immediately
after the fall of the Commune, when the Napoleonic
dynasty had ended. Many of the chief buildings
were in ruins, and I examined them with a consider-
able amount of interest as relics of a fallen monarchy
and the crime of an ignorant section of the people.
In 1871 the firm of Van Duzer & Richards established
a branch office in Paris, and for two or three years
succeeding I made monthly visits there in connection
with the branch, and this continued until the dissolu-
tion of our partnership. I also paid several visits to
Hamburg, where a branch agency of Van Duzer
existed, and travelled on business in Holland and
Belgium ; and the only pleasure trip I took for several
years — other than visits to Paris — was one with Mrs
Richards by steamer to Rotterdam, and through
Holland up the Rhine on to Hamburg, returning by
steamer direct to London Bridge.
My impressions of what a foreign country was like
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were realised on visiting Paris — and I have found this
to be the case with nearly all Americans. I do not
think they are prejudiced in England, for this is not
a strange land, because they hear their own tongue ;
but when they cross the Channel they hear for the
first time a foreign tongue, and mark foreign customs,
which are a great contrast to what they see or hear
either in England or America.
A short stay in Rotterdam taught me how unjust I
had been in my estimate of the Dutch by my ac-
quaintance with a Dutchman who was employed in
the same warehouse in New York in which I was
first employed. He was thoroughly Dutch in all
his ways, well educated, and could speak English,
but was spoken of and looked upon by the American
working staff as someone quite inferior because he
came from Rotterdam. My knowledge of geography
had failed to impress me with the importance of that
seaport, but when I saw for myself the grand streets
and stately public buildings, the busy quays and
crowded warehouses, I felt inclined to write to my
former comrade, and beg his pardon for having be-
littled him as not having seen anything grand or
important until he reached New York, the Empire
City.
My travelling in England has never been in any
way extensive, though I have paid single or several
visits to most of the cities and centres of industry in
the United Kingdom. I consider that the con-
veniences for travellers and the conveniences for
travelling in England surpass those which we possess
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in the United States. The comfort found in first,
second, and third class passenger carnages ; the
tidiness and smartness of railway stations ; the civilities
of the officials ; the absence of all loungers and loafers
at the stations — all these are far in advance of the
experience obtained in the United States. English
railway fares are reasonable, and having three classes
of fares people can economise if they wish to do so
and without loss of time.
I am not prepared to support the opinion which I
have frequently heard, that only fools ride first class,
and that a third-class carriage is as comfortable as the
first — the difference existing in one's imagination only.
Personally, I consider a first-class carriage extremely
comfortable and luxurious, and a third-class carriage
I consider distinctly uncomfortable if the full com-
plement of passengers is inside, which is fixed at
ten ; while in the first class the maximum is six. The
accommodation in third-class carriages has greatly
improved during the past few years on some lines ;
a few having been guilty of the extravagance of
providing cushioned sides and backs. Americans
must have the credit of being the first to introduce
into England the Pulman car, the dining-car, and a
new heating system. But the new method of heating
is not popular, passengers preferring the old-fashioned
comfort of iron foot warmers, which are simply tubes
of hot water. Sleeping-carriages have been adopted
on the lines of railway to the north and west, of
England, and on all lines where the journey occupies
upwards of eight hours. This also is an American
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invention. Americans travelling in England often
complain that they cannot get a drink of iced
water in a Pulman carriage in England, and that
newspapers and periodicals and pop - corn are
not offered for sale during journeys. These, which
the American considers essentials, can only be ob-
tained at the stations. All Americans are favourably
impressed with the excellent character of the refresh-
ment-rooms on British railways, and the appearance
of the railway stations, as compared with the very
inferior character of what they see on American lines
of railway, particularly in the matter of obtaining
drinks, or quick lunches. The dining-car on the
American railway has almost effected the abolition
of the station restaurant or luncheon bar. There is
a noticeable feature on English railways which always
excites admiration, and that is the care and attention
given to the little station gardens, which often display
a high appreciation of horticulture. Another point
which is very noticeable in England is that all railway
officials in every department wear uniform, which is
not the case in the United States. English railway
porters are the most obliging creatures the world has
ever produced, and for a small " tip " save the traveller
from the burden and anxiety of having to look after
his luggage.
In contrast with this, I may mention what happened
to me in the United States in 1902. I arrived at a
station called Morristown, in St Lawrence County,
New York, by a ferry-boat from Brockville, in Canada.
The railway station was some forty yards from the
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landing- stage, and I had seven pieces of luggage, all
small, for convenience of handling. The whole seven
could have been placed inside an American " Saratoga"
trunk. When the boat reached the landing I turned
to a "boy" I thought was a porter, but who really
was a boatman, and said to him : "I should like my
things taken to the railway platform." His reply was :
" I guess you will have to take them yourself, then."
As the day was hot, I wondered whether I should
be able to find someone to carry them for me.
Going up to the Stationmaster, I told him what I
wanted, and to my surprise he confirmed the boat-
man's remark, that there was no one there to handle
passengers' luggage. Next, I went to an express
office in the station, and asked the clerk in charge
if he could give me any assistance, to which he
replied : " Yes ; I will send a man for them if you
will pay 25 cents a package." I expressed my readi-
ness to do so, whereupon he shouted up to a lazy-
looking fellow : " Bill, here's a man with seven grip
sacks left on the boat landing, bring them here in a
hurry." The result was quite satisfactory, and I had
my luggage safely stowed on board my train for an
expenditure of about 6s., for doing which any English
railway porter would have accepted 6d.
I must here refer to the occasion of my visit to
Canada. It was to pay a flying visit to Senator
George T. Fulford, residing at Brockville. Senator
Fulford and family have spent a portion of each year
in London since 1892, and my firm acts as his agents
in a very important business. Our relations with
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him and his charming family have grown into those
of a warm personal character. I need not say how
delighted I was to pay this visit and enjoy the splendid
hospitality that was tendered to me. Fulford Place,
built of granite in the style of a huge Italian Mansion,
faces the St Lawrence River. I arrived on a perfect
sunshiny day in October, and had the great pleasure
of a cruise in my host's yacht up to Alexandra Bay
and the Thousand Islands. Other excursions by
land were taken. Every possible delight that kind-
ness could suggest was secured to me, and the forty-
eight hours at my disposal were too quickly spent.
In America you do not always hear a " Thank you "
even when tips are given. I have had to bribe
porters with large fees, when I have asked them to
do something out of their ordinary routine, and help
me in or out of a train with my hand luggage. I
should explain, however, that the average American
traveller does not encumber himself with hand luggage
of any kind : he " checks " his luggage from one station
to his destination, and can obtain the same upon
arrival by giving up his duplicate check to an express
man, who goes through the train before reaching any
large town, and for is. per package will deliver your
luggage in any part of the city or town to which
you are going.
To explain the American system of luggage check-
ing, about which I am often asked, I append an exact
reproduction of the official metal check which a
passenger receives for each piece of luggage taken
by all lines of the railways. The large check is
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affixed to the handle of the trunk or bag by slipping
the end of the leather strap through the loop. The
duplicate is retained by the passen-
ger until he claims his luggage at
the terminus, or is surrendered to
the Express Delivery Company,
whose representative " boards the
train " before reaching the terminus,
and from each passenger takes in-
structions for delivery to hotel, or
residence, or for transfer to another
railway, giving Express Company
checks in exchange for the railway
voucher. A charge of 25 cents to
35 cents is made to deliver such
pieces of luggage within city or town
limit. The baggage check illustrated
is one used by the Boston and Albany
and New York and New Haven Railway. This check
ing system is more convenient and safe, both for pas-
sengers and railway companies, than the pasted label
method employed in
England. Another
advantage is that, if
Brighton & South Coast Railway.
Portsmouth Harbour to
London Bridge
you do not wish to
immediately claim
your luggage at the
terminus, no time is
wasted in taking
what you have to a cloak-room. The check en-
sures the passenger's luggage being taken care of
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With John Bull and Jonathan
till called for and the " duplicate" produced. For
the information of Americans who have not English
railway experience I here add a reduced copy in
fac-simile of the paste label as used in Great Britain
on all lines of travel.
Many Americans coming to this country express
surprise that at railway stations passengers are con-
tent to have their luggage simply labelled, and that
being done, feel confident that their luggage will be
properly carried and delivered up to the owner at the
station where they will alight, the passenger holding
no receipt or voucher of any kind. In practice, the
loss of luggage is extremely rare in England, and
the claiming of luggage by unauthorised persons is
also a rare occurrence. Personally, I have never lost
an article in this way, nor had anything miscarry,
and I never failed to secure afterwards any article
which had been unintentionally left on the platform,
or an umbrella casually left in the train.
The same degree of safety also attaches to articles
left in London cabs or in theatres. Whether employees
are more honest than in America I do not know, but
the fact remains that articles left behind in vehicles
and places of amusement are nearly always restored
by application being made in the proper quarter.
With regard to English hotels in town or country,
Americans are always favourably impressed with the
manner of their reception on arrival ; the attention
which is paid to the pleasantness of the rooms ; the
courtesy of the servants ; and the absence of the rush
and indifferent methods at most of the American
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hotels. The English hotel proprietor, either in person
or by proxy, makes a certainty that any guest arriving
shall have every attention shown, a hearty welcome,
and be made at home. Pains are taken also to
identify a guest, so that if a friend calls they can
recognise the person wanted without a number.
186
CHAPTER XIII
Revisiting America— The Changes apparent — In Ships crossing the
Atlantic — Improved Roads — Sky-scrapers — Servants — Hours of
Labour changed — Merchants seen by Everybody — Travelling
Facilities — Tyranny of Hackmen — Charity Collections — Eating,
Drinking, and Smoking — American Women — The Stage Yankee
— Questions of Accent and Pronunciation.
BETWEEN the years 1867 and 1905 I have crossed
the Atlantic forty times. In a previous chapter I
have described the characteristics of the Russia, one
of the Cunard Line upon which I travelled when I
first came to England. The great advance made in
sea-going vessels is as remarkable as that of any
other great improvement in travelling made upon
land. This has not been a rapid development, nor
has the saving in time which has been effected been
as marked as the size and luxurious appointments of
the vessels employed in the transatlantic service.
Personally, I have always given the preference to
the Cunard Company, and, with three exceptions
only, have always travelled by that line. Upon two
occasions I have gone by the White Star Line, and
once by the old National Line, on the s.s. Spain.
Between the Russia of 1867 and the Campania of
1902 the improvements referred to are really won-
derful, including the introduction of the Marconi
apparatus on these ships ; and the publication of a
daily paper on board, containing the latest news,
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appears to crown all that can be desired on these
fine vessels.
I have already referred to the plain and substantial
food supplied on the earlier vessels, but now every
delicacy which is in season will be found, with ample
supply of fruit for dessert. The wines are of every
brand known on the market. The third-class menu
is also generous in the extreme.
I had again brought to my notice the unique
opportunity the Atlantic voyage offers for character
study. Whether the ship's company may number
100 or 500, there will never fail to appear " the
life of the ship," in the person of some very energetic,
good-looking young lady, wearing a jaunty hat, white
shirt waist and navy-blue short skirt, and tan boots,
ready for a deck promenade in all weathers. She will
explore the engine-room, or sit as near the ship's
bows as it is possible to get ; take part in all deck
games ; oblige with a song in the music-room ; pass
the plate for collection on the evening of the inevitable
" Ship Concert" ; and generally interest herself in all
that is going on. This performance soon attracts
the male counterparts of this young lady, to the extent
of three or four, who roam the ship in her glad
company, each endeavouring to rival the other in
their devotion. Then there is always the passenger
who crosses every year ; has " the best room in the
ship ; " best seat at the table ; best attendance from
the stewards ; special dishes served to his luncheon
or dinner, and in a quiet way will tell you that he is
allowed by the owners and captain to " run " the ship.
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He is seemingly oblivious to the fact that there
are at least a dozen "best rooms," all regulated by
the printed rates "according to accommodation," open
to first come, first served ; that seats at table are
allotted by the saloon steward in a fair manner,
and usually according to priority of booking and
the class of room occupied. " Attendance " is a matter
understood by everyone.
And then there is the very select family party, with
deck-chairs grouped together in a sheltered position,
conscious of their reserved superiority. Speaking to
a juvenile member of one of these groups, a bright
little girl, I ventured to ask her name. She said :
" My name is . Mamma says we are the nicest
people on the ship."
The shorter voyages of the present day curtail to
a large extent the acquaintance and good fellowship
among passengers that used to occur in the old days.
People, however, become friendly, and pass the time
most agreeably. The individual, however, is respon-
sible as to whether he will enjoy himself, or be bored
to death, finding fault, and wishing himself on land.
One of the latest advantages conferred by the
Marconi wireless messages is to hold conversation
with other vessels at sea. These may be more than
100 miles apart, and out of sight, yet messages are
exchanged, frequently between three vessels at a time
during a space of twelve hours ; and messages from
land to land are daily received.
While changes which I have described have been
going on in London, my surprise was very great to
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With John Bull and Jonathan
notice the changes which had been effected in the
United States in 1902. These were more especially
noticeable in New York. When I first left the
States the only communication between up-town
and down-town was, by horse railways and omnibuses
Now there are no longer any horse omnibuses or
horse cars, the latter having been superseded by
electric tramways, and the former by what is known as
" Elevated railways," and Tube subway service. The
paving of the streets has also been vastly improved,
and there is now scarcely one thoroughfare in New
York where formerly the pavement consisted of
cobble-stones, or square blocks of stone, which has
not been now relaid on the Macadam system. Thus
the old method of constructing roads without a bed,
and adjusting with balancing cement — which resulted
in streets where the traffic was enormous becoming
as uneven as the waves of the sea — has now been
superseded by a modern method, where the asphalted
surface presents a perfectly level area on which to
travel. By the new method there has been overcome
the effect of the winter frost, which usually penetrated
to a depth of a foot or 18 inches, and brought
about a very irregular surface ; but now, by digging
down and making a bed, the frost produces no effect
upon a road properly constructed on the European
plan.
The improvements in public buildings have been
very great ; while merchants, warehouses, and private
dwellings show an equally great advance. The
great " sky-scrapers " — one quite new one, the
190
NATIONAL BANK OF NOETH AMEBICA, NEW YOEK,
With John Bull and Jonathan
" Times Building," runs up to a height of 362 feet
above the pavement, with sixty feet foundation, and
the whole structure contains thirty-one floors — are
served by electric express lifts, which go through
to certain floors without stopping. On Manhattan
Island " sky-scrapers " were almost necessary on
account of the limited area for building ground and
the demand for business premises and offices, so
that no course was possible to meet commercial
requirements, unless every inch of ground was occu-
pied to the full limit of safety, as to the height of
buildings.
The hotel accommodation had grown as rapidly
as in London, and was as greatly improved. As
in London, so also in New York, vast numbers
of well-to-do families, who would prefer a private
residence, reside in hotels, owing to the great servant
difficulty. Residential flats or " Apartment Houses"
(as they are preferably called in New York) have
become the residences of thousands who formerly
would rent a house. Probably this mode of house-
keeping is adopted to a greater extent in the United
States than in London. Living in hotels to avoid
the "servants" problem is also on the increase in
New York. Good domestic servants in the United
States are hard to obtain, and ask extravagant
wages. So great is the demand for them that per-
sons engage without a reference or asking for a
character, and servants leave without asking for a
character, and without giving notice. The monthly
wages in 1902 for cooks in a private family would
191
With John Bull and Jonathan
average $40 (^8) ; for housemaids, $20 (£4) ; and
for parlour - maids, $25 (,£5). Men - servants
obtained the following wages : — butlers $50, (^"10) ;
coachmen, $40 (^8) ; and footmen, $25 (^5). All
these classes of servants are foreigners, and as a
rule are badly trained, and come out to America
without experience — their one qualification being
usually, that they are strong and healthy. They
quickly learn the routine of domestic service. An
American-born woman of the white race is rarely
found acting as a servant in any house. I have
heard an American lady say that she had enjoyed
in England nothing so much as the civility of ser-
vants, whether in hotels or private houses. " Why,"
said she, "they say 'Thank you' when you have not
given them anything."
I found that the hours of work in merchants' ware-
houses and professional offices had been reduced in
number. As a boy, I was expected to be at work
by 7.30 A.M., and left at 6 P.M. Now the hours
are from 8.30 or 9 in the morning to 5 in the
afternoon. But there still remains an atmosphere
of bustle and hustle about a place of business, as if
you were expected to move quickly and take up the
least possible time over any particular duty.
The London practice of making appointments
with persons whom you wish to see or visit is
rarely adopted in American cities. This would
result in an enormous waste of time in the States.
Every man of business in New York can be found
at his place during office hours, and instead of us-
192
With John Bull and Jonathan
ing a private room the members of the firm sit
where they can be seen by everyone entering
the premises, and persons will approach the one
wanted without giving a thought as to causing any
interruption : he walks right up, in spite of others
persons being before him. Personally, I condemn
this practice altogether, and instead of showing a
democratic and independent feeling in doing so,
exactly the reverse is exhibited ; but when I have
called attention to the matter, the only answer I have
received has been: "Well, this is not London — this
is New York." But I do not wish to be understood
as saying that no opportunity is given for private
conversation with the head of the firm either on
commercial or private affairs. The ordinary caller,
I mean, will not hesitate to press in if he can see
the man he is in search of; will approach him without
any hesitation whatever ; and can only be prevented
by some special regulation. But, of course, there
are establishments where private offices do exist,
and where the principal is more secluded ; and the
value of the private room is gradually being recog-
nised as giving better facilities for business in many
respects.
There is no improvement, however, in the casual
and off-hand manners of railway servants or hotel
attendants ; and, to do them justice, I do not think
they intend to be rude — only they have not learned
the true way of politeness.
The parks in New York I found to have been
greatly improved, and now Central Park and River-
With John Bull and Jonathan
side Drive (which at my last visit were only in a
partial state of completion) have developed in such
a way as to bear comparison with the parks and
drives possessed by the finest cities in the world.
The pedestrian traffic is now facilitated by the
Elevated Railway, the Tube, and the Brooklyn Bridge ;
by street cars and ferries, crossing north and east,
and rivers, to Staten Island Ferry.
Another great improvement which I noticed was
in the character of the wharves and landing-stages
used by the great steamship companies. These are
all built of wood resting on piles driven into the
bed of the river ; and as the tide rises and falls the
largest vessels go alongside, and load or unload, not-
withstanding there is a fall of about six feet at every
turn of the tide. The hours of departure for vessels
are regulated by the depth of water at Sandy Hook
Bar at the entrance to the harbour, and not by the
state of the water in the north and east rivers.
The Custom House regulations have only been
slightly improved, and while a Customs' examination
is made of passengers' luggage from foreign ports
a reasonable amount of property is allowed to enter
duty free. Notwithstanding this remission, strangers
and Americans greatly complain of the method of
examining trunks, after the required declaration has
been made by every traveller as to the number of
packages he has, and the value of their contents,
and that he does not carry anything for purposes
of trade, but only for gifts to relatives and friends.
This statement has to be made before leaving the
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With John Bull and Jonathan
ship in the presence of Custom House officers, who
board the vessel off the quarantine point. The
examination of the baggage does not commence until
every piece has been placed on the landing-stage,
in sections marked by letters of the alphabet cor-
responding to the first letter of the owner's surname.
When the luggage has been passed, and the duties
leviable paid, you are at liberty to remove your
property, and forward by express delivery, at is. each
package ; or you may charter a private conveyance,
for which you have to pay not less than 5 dollars
nor more than 10 dollars to any spot within the limits
of the city. The majority of people adopt the ex-
press system of despatching their luggage, and then
proceed to their homes or hotels by the Elevated
Railway, rather than submit to the exorbitant charges
of hackmen, and travel by a private vehicle. There
is no such system in New York analogous to that
which exists in London with regard to articles left
in public vehicles, and there is very little probability
of anything left behind in a public vehicle ever being
restored. No one is ever so foolish as to put an
umbrella or walking-stick under a bundle of rugs, and
send the whole by public express, as there could
be no reasonable hope of their being delivered in
the same condition.
On attending a church service on Easter Sunday
1890 I was much impressed with the contrast
between a similar service in England in a neigh-
bourhood of similar character. The pews of a
New York church are upholstered in a luxurious
With John Bull and Jonathan
manner, costly carpets cover the floors of pews and
aisles, the pulpit stairs and platform, and give the
whole the appearance of a grand drawing-room
arranged for a concert, or an entertainment of some
kind. The school-rooms and lecture-room attached
to the churches are also beautifully carpeted and
decorated, and furnished with comfortable chairs.
On that Easter Sunday I visited two of the fashion-
able churches in Fifth Avenue, New York, and was
told by friends who were well informed that the
floral display on the altars and in other portions of
the church represented an outlay of 5000 dollars
(,£1000). Before quarrelling with such a lavish dis-
play, the question should be asked as to what sum the
Easter offerings reached. I asked this question, and
was told that in each of the churches I visited they
would be not less than 10,000 dollars (,£2000). These
sums were collected on the plates which were handed
round. A millionaire, who was a churchwarden,
handed the plate round to the pew in which I sat,
and so great was the accumulation of bank-notes
that he had to keep one hand upon the top of
the pile to prevent them from being blown away.
Among the contributions I noticed 5-dollar and 100-
dollar notes. These large sums so collected were at
the disposal of the Rector or Vicar for charitable
purposes, and he acted as almoner for his congrega-
tion. There was no interference with his discretion
as to the bestowal or refusal of alms to anyone, and
all requests for help were forwarded to the senior
clergyman in charge, he undertaking the serious
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responsibility of inquiring into all applications for
help which were received.
The demands made by the public for Theatres
and Music halls, I found, had been met by an in-
creased supply, and on a similar scale of magnificence
to those which were more recently constructed in
London. The prices of admission to all parts of
New York theatres are much lower than in London ;
and no rule prevails as to dress, excepting upon
occasions when Grand Opera is presented. No
tips are expected by the attendants, nor is any
charge made for programmes. Visitors reach the
theatres by tramcars or the railway service. Ladies
wear their hats as a matter of course, and gentle-
men go direct from business, and wearing their
office dress. Ladies do not remove their head-
gear, wherever they may be sitting ; but great
numbers of men do attend in evening dress, as
in London. There is no line drawn as to the
wearing of dress in any particular portion of the
theatre, and to exclude a soldier in uniform would
be regarded as an outrage ; but the negro, notwith-
standing that he is now a free and independent
citizen, would not be admitted into the stalls or
dress circles of a theatre in North or South : he must
get his theatrical experience from the gallery, there
not being any pit in an American theatre. The
advantage of the democratic method of attending
theatres in the United States is largely to the
advantage of the proprietors of theatres, and the
more moderate charges which are made conduce to
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the same end. A man and his wife may go to a
theatre and occupy stalls there at a cost, including
conveyance to and from, of not more than 6s. each.
At some of the theatres, by signifying your wish
at the box office, you will obtain tickets at a charge
which will include you being sent for, and taken
home, after the performance in a cab.
London Hansom cabs were in use in New York
to a considerable extent in 1902 ; the minimum fare
for any distance was i dollar. One can scarcely take
a cab to pay a visit or make a business call under
an outlay of 3 dollars or 4 dollars ; hence com-
paratively few can enjoy the luxury of a cab where
fares are regarded somewhat in the light of extor-
tion. If measured distances and reasonable fares
were charged, the patronage extended to them would
be as extensive as in London.
The habit of taking supper after leaving the theatre
prevails in New York as in London, and practically
the same menu is met with in both cities. Of course,
in New York the oyster is the ever-prevailing dish,
and this is the most popular item at all restaurants
and refreshment bars. A man will order six or a
dozen oysters without any further addition to his meal.
The oyster in London is not cooked, as in the
States. There is no item of food which can be cooked
in so many different ways. In England they only eat
the oyster raw ; while in the States the oyster is
roasted in the shell, broiled, fried, or stewed. The
best oysters can be had from a halfpenny to a penny
each, but, of course, in a fashionable restaurant or
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hotel, a considerable addition is made for cooking and
serving.
I observed no difference in the habit of bar-
drinking, nor in that of drinking " between drinks"
instead of with meals. Mint juleps, cocktails, plain
whisky, and brandy taken almost neat, are the
popular beverages, and in many instances they are
taken much too frequently. The wine most favoured
at dinner is champagne, and the United States are
said to be the largest buyers in the world ; and they
are also the largest buyers of Havana cigars, smoking
tobacco which they produce themselves. There is
also an important industry carried on in the manu-
facture of ''domestic cigars," which possess a tobacco-
leaf cover, and inside prepared cabbage leaves.
There is an important tobacco and cigar industry
carried on at Key West. When I was a boy a
cigar costing 10 cents (5d.) was considered an ex-
travagance even for a man of good position to smoke ;
but now the same class buy cigars which cost 40 cents
(is. 8d.) and 50 cents (25. id.).
Americans are frequently described, and rightly so,
as extravagant in the matter of personal indulgence.
On the other hand, many are careful and prudent, and
manage their affairs with commendable prudence, like
many men in every part of the globe. In London
you frequently hear, when a great charity is in need
of exceptional assistance, or a sale is about to take
place of some famous painting or rare article of value :
" Please introduce me to some rich American." Now,
Americans are not richer than, nor nearly so rich as, a
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wealthy man in England, nor are they so numerous.
If there is any difference between the two classes, the
more prudent man is the Englishman, because, as a
rule, he limits his expenditure to his means ; while an
American does not hesitate to spend his capital in
order to carry out his own wishes as to mode of
living, or to accomplish what he and his family may
desire to carry out. In England men are spoken of
as having so much per annum ; in America they are
spoken of as being worth so many millions of dollars,
and very rarely indeed is a man spoken of by his
income. An American will spend the whole of his
income without any hesitation if, for social or other
reasons, his purpose would be served. An English-
man, as a rule, with those with whom he is intimate,
will plainly make known his circumstances in a
perfectly natural and honest way. " Oh ! " he will say,
" I have only got ^500 a year." But wild horses would
not drag out of an American any admission of that
character. He would never be identified with a fixed
income until he was connected with a post the
emolument of which was known. The Englishman
by his openness gains the greater credit, and he is
not led into expenses which he cannot afford, and he
is not asked to participate in entertainments and
functions, which are beyond his means. If urged to
do so, he will frankly remind you of the state of his
finances.
American women are more indulged than English
women, because they eclipse English women in their
ability to inspire their husbands ; and they are also
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more extravagant in their personal expenditure, but
in this particular they are encouraged by their
husbands. Many Americans who are quite indifferent
as to their own indulgence in the matter of dress,
amusements, or carriages will cheerfully support the
fancies and foibles of the female members of their
families. In all matters of pleasure-making, amuse-
ments, and travelling the American woman sets the
pace.
The passion for travel between the two countries
during the last twenty-five years has become so great
that the better class of Americans have all paid visits
to England, and no one in society would admit
that a visit was the first, being paid to England.
Notwithstanding the English familiarity now with
the genuine American, his appearance, speech, and
manners, he is still represented upon the stage as
wearing short trousers, a "goatee" beard, long hair,
and a curled-up slouch hat ; and he must begin nearly
every sentence with the words: "Say, stranger!"
As an illustration, the following will give an idea of
what such a Yankee is expected to say on his opening
a conversation with a Briton : — "Say, stranger! have
you seen a yaller dog, with a tail an inch, an inch and
a half, or two inches long, about a mile, a mile and a
half, or two miles off?" Needless to say, an
American is able to conduct a conversation, even
with an unknown person, without beginning with :
" Say, stranger ! "
The nearest approach to a real American character
in a play that I have seen produced in London was
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called "The Colonel," and the title role was played
by Charles Coghlan. He had the correct American
accent without exaggeration. In this connection
I may say that Mr Buckstone, when playing the
part of Asa Trenchard in "Our American Cousin"
— a character created by Joseph Jefferson — accent-
uated his words so that it was in no way
creditable to the fine acting of that distinguished
actor. There are some Americans who become
offended if you tell them they have an accent and
speak in some degree with a nasal sound ; but to deny
the imputation is to prove ignorance of the chief
characteristic of their native country. Why should
not an American be satisfied with his accent in the
same way as is a Briton, a Frenchman, a German,
or any other foreigner ? I have had persons complain
to me, that, on going into shops in Regent Street
and in the Strand, assistants serving had given them
a price in dollars, and asked them if they had any-
thing cheaper in New York. On their asking how
they knew they were from New York, the answer
was : " By your accent," and they appealed to me to
know in what way their voice was different from the
native-born English.
I have never been mistaken for an Englishman in
England, though I have resided here thirty-eight
years, but on my visits to the United States I have
invariably been taken for an Englishman by persons
who did not know the contrary, and I did not think
this an offence in either case.
An American lady told an assistant in a Regent
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Street shop after making a purchase : "I want the
goods sent right on now " ; whereupon the assistant
laughed. The lady, always ready for an argument,
asked why she laughed ; and an amusing discussion
ensued upon the proper pronunciation of the word
"now," the assistant courteously insisting that the
American lady had said " neouw" — a word not unlike
that which describes the musical note of a cat's
"meow."
The city of Paris is pronounced very differently by a
Frenchman and an Englishman. An American simply
cannot say "Paris" with a French accent. Another
phrase by which an American is at once detected is
that of " Hurry up," instead of "At once," or " Make
haste." An American lady says: "What do you
want for that gold watch ? " An English lady would
say: "How much?" or "What is the price?"
Finally, we come to the word "guess," which no
American can give up and no Englishman ever
adopt.
The phrase "Having a good time" is totally
different in meaning from the standpoint of America
and England. In America the phrase usually sug-
gests a large party, and as many practical jokes as
possible introduced : they do not invariably think that
a courteous and quiet time can be " A good time."
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CHAPTER XIV
Social Amenities in American Clubs — Jonathan a Man of Business — The
Fashion in Vehicles — English in Clothes, Walking-sticks, Um-
brellas, and Hats — Liveries creeping in — Dust-bins — Tomatoes
on the Table— " Chicken Food "—Renting Houses— Public Un-
dertakings— What John Bull owes to Jonathan — The Toast Master
— The Seasons.
IN previous chapters I have referred to a few points
of difference between the domestic and social ameni-
ties of life in New York and London ; these I now
propose to go into more fully, and with the utmost
fairness to Jonathan and to John Bull. Social points
do not vary considerably in the two cities. Invita-
tions to lunch, to dinner, and to week-end visits are
amongst the first courtesies and civilities offered to
strangers on both sides of the Atlantic. Club life in
both cities is practically the same, though the condi-
tions of life cause very considerable variations in club
rules and regulations. In New York a member of a
club may invite a stranger to make use of his club for
a fortnight, and enjoy all the privileges of a member,
paying for wrhat he may require, and having access to
every department of the club ; whereas in London one
cannot return or reciprocate this advantage, not but
that the members would wish to do so, but in London
with a club of large membership, and a large usage
of such privileges, a club would be unworkable. In
New York, Americans do not use clubs to the same
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extent as gentlemen do in London, because there are
not so many men of leisure who can spare time to
read the papers, meet their friends, or conduct their
correspondence in a club. In other words, Americans
are first of all men of business ; and a club is regarded
as an indulgence and a recreation.
One of the first things which happens to a stranger
on his arrival in New York, after delivering his
letters of introduction, is to get put up at a club.
If the club privileges are desired for more than two
weeks there is no difficulty in getting another member
of the club to renew the nomination for a further time.
The last time I visited New York, during the first
three days, I had cards of invitation to no less than
five clubs — the "Union League," the " New York
Yacht Club," the "New York Club," the "Univer-
sity Club," the "Metropolitan Club," and the "Play-
goers' Club." Any one of these I could use as
freely as the clubs to which I belong in London,
and I could, moreover, even invite a friend to lunch,
or dine with me.
The American revisiting his country, after a sojourn
of several years in London, will immediately notice
a marked improvement in the character of the public
buildings. But this is not all ; in the conveniences
and attributes of private and social life he will mark
many advances and improvements. The American
one-horse buggy, and trotting buggy, so valued for
driving in Central Park, look like mere toys, and
the very reverse of a comfortable vehicle to drive
in. But there are now to be seen substantial-look-
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ing private carriages and dog - carts, landaus and
broughams, which are nearly all either imported from
England, or built on English models. And the follow-
ing of English fashions does not end with the private
vehicles now in daily use ; the clothes worn, the
hat, the walking-stick, and the umbrella are invari-
ably, amongst the well - to - do classes, English, or
copied from English patterns.
At the same time, the English visitor cannot fail
to notice that the carriages and other vehicles in
daily use are not turned out with the smartness which
is customary in London. A wash-up three times a
week would be as often as the ordinary coachman
would give his carriage. There are exceptions, how-
ever, but they are always in the case of very smart
people, who employ English coachmen and grooms.
Neither are the public omnibuses and cars, which
are in constant use, washed daily, as in London. In
country places this absence of washing is more
noticeable than in the cities.
Country people are rarely found who will take the
trouble to have their vehicles washed daily, and kept
smart and clean. The condition of the roads has, no
doubt, a great deal to do with this. In the spring
and autumn of the year, the mud is so deep and sticky
that owners of vehicles appear to get no satisfaction,
or reward for frequently washing up. As a boy, when
on the farm, the " carry-all" which was used to take
all the family to church on Sunday was never washed
more than twice during the season, and such a thing
as oiling or polishing the harness was never heard of —
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and I noticed that the same practice prevailed on my
last visit, three years ago.
In 1867 liveries for male servants — coachmen and
grooms — were the exception ; now the practice is
general. White male servants within the house is
the universal rule amongst the wealthy, but previously
the male servants were usually negroes. In the
houses in New York where I visited white servants
were always to be seen, and liveries were as smart
and up to date as in London.
Much has been said by English visitors against
the abominable habit of placing the dust -bins on
the footway. Every house, even in the most fash-
ionable streets, is required to place the dust and
house refuse in some kind of receptacle on the foot-
path, and these vary in character from a closed bin
to an open flour barrel, to be emptied into dust-carts,
which collect the refuse in the morning between the
hours of eight and ten. One can imagine the
nuisance created on a windy day ; but on all other
days this lining of the footways with dust receptacles
is a disgrace to the city. The carts are not covered
over, and, as the coal universally used in New York
produces an enormous white ash, this is caught up
by the air as each dust- box is emptied into the cart,
and blown over the street in every direction. The
London system of closed dust-bins and covered dust-
carts could very easily be adopted in New York ; but
to the present day the filthy open boxes and open
carts are to be seen, even in the best residential streets
of the city.
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Everyone has heard of American sweets, and
almost the first inquiry of a visitor from the States
is for a candy shop ; their contempt for what are
called English sweets can only be expressed in strong
language. For the last twenty years, however, the
American taste has been met by their own country-
men, who have established depots for the sale of
every description of American candy, and in several
cases have extended their stores to the supply of
other American dainties. Candy, I may mention, is
the generic term for all kinds of candy-sugar sweets.
The products in England, as apart from sweets, would
be served with dessert.
When I first came to England the vegetable known
as the tomato was only regarded as a prolific vine, and
I have seen such vines used as a centrepiece for the
dining-table. The use of the tomato as a vegetable
is entirely an American innovation, and, I am happy
to say, as popular now in this country as the United
States. Soon after my arrival in England I spent
a week-end at a gentleman's seat in Kent, and in
walking through his garden saw, to my delight, some
fine tomatoes growing. I said : "I should like to
have some for dinner, as I have never seen them put
on the table in England as a food." My host ex-
pressed surprise that anyone could eat such veget-
ables, but he said that some of them should be
served at dinner. When we sat down to that meal
I noticed that a covered dish had been placed in
front of me, which, upon examination, proved to be
two large tomatoes — but they had been boiled, and
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were, therefore, not eatable. Tomatoes in the States
are sliced, and eaten cold, grilled, or sliced up and
stewed with bread crumbs. English cooks, I am
glad to say, have since learned all these methods of
preparing the tomato for table.
English people have also become very partial to
many American cereal foods, and I believe that there
is more oatmeal from the States consumed in England
than there is of Scotch. Quaker Oats is now a
standard oatmeal in Great Britain.
Canned corn and beans are also popular here,
though when they were first placed on my own table
I could hardly persuade an English friend even to
taste them ; while the servants dubbed them " chicken
food," and utterly refused to eat them. At the
present time they have been converted to their use
— even to an extravagant extent, if they get the
chance.
The cold storage system has enabled a vast pro-
>rtion of the population in London to be supplied
fruits from California ; and the supplies of beef
id mutton are looked for, with the regularity of
lelivery from the home counties.
An American coming to London to settle is rather
staggered to find that if he wishes to take an unfur-
lished house, either in town or country, he cannot get
>ne by the month or year ; he is expected to hire
>y lease of seven, fourteen, or twenty -one years,
tnd to assume all responsibility for decorations, re-
iirs, rates, and taxes ; whereas a furnished house,
tpartments, or flats may be rented by the week,
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The fact is important to remember that, unlike the
process in the States, there is no summary process by
which to dispossess a tenant at short notice. In New
York, where rents are payable every month or quarter
in advance, a tenant can be dispossessed in three
days, and the contents of the house put on the foot-
way if the rent is not paid ; but the landlord can-
not hold the furniture for his rent. In England,
however, a tenant having a lease, if he be obstinate,
and has recourse to all the tricks of law, can hold
on without paying any rent for full twelve months.
Therefore a landlord, before granting a lease, will
insist upon having very satisfactory references as to
ability to pay, and he has a legal lien upon the furni-
ture if the rent is not paid, as well as rates and taxes.
A freehold property in the most eligible and fashion-
able part of London can hardly be found. Nearly
the whole of the west end is held by ground landlords,
and upon leases varying from 99 to 999 years — the
former term being the usual rule. Quite recently, on
the Westminster and Bedford estates, a large number
of leases for the term of ninety-nine years have fallen in.
The statement is generally believed that when
this property falls into the lap of the landowners they
are never unreasonable in the matter of renewing
the leases, though, as a matter of course, after a period
of ninety-nine years, the property must have greatly
increased in value.
Freeholds in the city of London are equally difficult
to get hold of upon lease.
The gas and water supplies are controlled by
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private companies in England, and the monopoly
has become of enormous value to the original
shareholders. An effort is now being made in
London to acquire the water supply, and this will
probably be accomplished by a public trust.
In 1867 the Telegraphs in Great Britain were in
the hands of private companies, and were not taken
over by the Post Office until 1870. The Post Office
authorities immediately reduced the rates to a uniform
charge of is. for twelve words, including the address.
This charge was shortly after reduced to 6d.
The Telegraph service in England is now justly re-
garded as being as nearly perfect as such an institution
can possibly be made ; and even in rural districts, with
the arrangement for prepaid replies, the system is
altogether in advance of America.
The telephone was first introduced into England
by private companies in 1880. At the present
time the Government and the National Telephone
Company work together upon an equitable basis, and
adopt the same rate of traffic. Americans complain
that the London telephone service is not to be com-
pared with that of New York : with this opinion,
having tested both systems, I quite agree. The
chief difference consists in the fact that in the States
the clerks put you on the exchange with a subscriber
more quickly than in England ; but telegraphy in
England is far more complete and rapid.
The American system of District Messengers was
first of all Jonathan's invention, and was transplanted
to London very successfully in 1894; but progress is
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handicapped by having to pay a royalty to the
Government through the Post Office department.
In 1888 a theatrical friend of mine in New York,
wishing to show me how swift the service was, sent
a messenger boy to me in London to deliver a letter
and bring back an answer ; and, with instructions to
"make time," the boy left the ship at Queenstown,
and travelled with the mails overland, and returned
in the same way, only spending about six hours in
London, and the messenger accomplished the double
journey, as nearly as I remember, in seventeen days.
As a souvenir of this trip, I had the boy photographed
in front of my business premises.
This long distance messenger service has since
been frequently utilised by merchants and others,
having personal delivery made in the United States —
messengers being despatched from London to New
York, Chicago, San Francisco, and other cities with
the most complete success.
Englishmen, on first visiting the Empire City of
the United States, which is built upon an island with
a river on either side, have remarked the strangeness
of the fact that there should not be a passenger steam-
boat service round Manhattan Island — something after
the character of the Thames Steamboat Service — calling
at various piers on the north and east rivers. I can
only suggest that the lack of this accommodation
arises from the circumstance that the waterside is
in most instances too far removed from residential
centres ; and would on that account necessitate the
use of omnibuses or tramcars to reach one's destina-
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tion, and the steamboat would not, therefore, be more
economical of time.
The streets of New York being built at right
angles to one another, every great thoroughfare has
a tram service north, south, east and west, and the
greatest saving of time is attained by using this
method of transit.
Pleasure steamers of immense size ply on the north
and east rivers and Long Island Sand, so that there
is no difficulty in getting full views of New York
and the harbour from these steamers. Ferry-boats
are employed to cross from New York to New Jersey
shore on the north river, and to Brooklyn and
Williamsburgh on the east river.
Then, again, there is Brooklyn Bridge to facilitate
the traffic. This bridge is justly regarded as one
of the great engineering achievements of the nine-
teenth century, and, when completed, people imagined
that the traffic by the ferry-boats would cease ; but
this has not turned out to be the case, as the ferry-
boats continue to be well patronised, and with the
opening of the Bridge an enormous population has
been brought from New York to Brooklyn. So
much is this the case that Brooklyn is now frequently
called the " Dormitory of New York." Rents, though
considerable enough, are cheaper in Brooklyn than
in New York, which is, no doubt, one cause of the
exodus, but in many parts of the former city the air
is more pure than in the older city.
Speaking of Brooklyn, in the days of his greatest
popularity Henry Ward Beecher not only preached
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at Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, but resided also in
that delightful suburb ; and the story is current that
if the boat had started from either side, and the pilot
saw Ward Beecher approaching, he would reverse
the engines, and return to the pier for him — and such
was the general respect in which he was held that
no passenger ever raised his voice in protest against
the delay. These American ferry-boats are very
extraordinary vessels, being very broad, and having
flat bottoms, and are capable of accommodating on
board the largest vehicles which are seen in the
streets. The ladies' cabin and the gentlemen's cabin
are so distinguished by signboards ; but, as a matter
of practice, all men frequent the ladies' cabin, and
the only gentlemen who venture into their specially
allotted cabin are those who wish to smoke. But if a
lady presents herself in the ladies' cabin when full the
nearest gentleman will always give up his seat to her.
American public dinners do not differ from the
character of those in England except in one particular,
the office of Toast-master. This functionary is always
a great surprise, and the cause of much amusement,
to Americans in London, when they hear his voice
for the first time at a public dinner. In the United
States the chairman who presides at the banquet
acts as his own toast-master ; but I am bound to admit
that a toast-master is of great assistance to the
chairman, regulating the progress of the feast, giving
the chairman opportunity for conversing with his
friends, and preparing the company for his reception
when he rises to speak.
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At a civic banquet in the Egyptian Hall of the
Mansion House, usually a private affair given by
the Lord Mayor, or at one held in the Guildhall,
which is always official, the Toast-master always
appears ; and amongst other quaint ceremonies is the
passing round of the " Loving Cup" after the Lord
Mayor has first of all drunk to the company.
The dinners given by the various City Companies
are almost invariably held in their own halls, many of
which are remarkably handsome chambers, and in
the matter of entertainment nothing could be more
lavishly hospitable. Several of the chief Companies
give to each guest souvenirs, which take the form
usually of the particular " trade " after which the
company is named. In this way cloth is distributed,
elegant boxes filled with choice sweets, packets of
playing-cards, needles, and gold and silver articles.
On the occasion of the presentation of the freedom
of the Playing-Card Makers Co. to Andrew Carnegie
this year, he was presented with a collection of
playing-cards from the earliest times to the present in
a magnificent casket, and each guest received two
packets of playing-cards of a special design. As a
curious fact, I may mention that only in a few ex-
ceptional instances do the members of the Company
follow the trade from which the Company is named.
The sums of money at the disposal of these com-
panies are known to be large, but no statements of
account are ever issued to the public. The property
chiefly consists of land in the city bequeathed by
members in past times, which has now become of
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immense value. Lavish as they are in their hospi-
tality the companies are not less generous in their
gifts, and of late years they have spent many
thousands of pounds in the cause of education, and
in aid of hospitals, in the support of technical schools,
and in teaching the rudiments of important trades
in a scientific manner — thus reviving the first cause
of their existence in ages gone by.
One of the most interesting banquets I have at-
tended in London was that given in 1874 by my
cousin, Cyrus W. Field at the " Star and Garter,"
Richmond, in celebration of an anniversary in connec-
tion with the laying of the Atlantic Cable. The ban-
quet was honoured with the presence of many of those
most interested in Telegraphy, from all parts of
Europe and America. Mr Field was fortunate also in
being able to include among his guests Lord Kelvin
and Sir John Fender, Members of the Parent Anglo-
American Cable Company ; also Captain Anderson,
who commanded the Great Eastern, the ship which
carried and paid out the Cable. The great feature
of the evening was the exchange of Cable Messages,
despatched and received at the table, from every
part of the world. Proper electrical instruments and
connecting wires were fitted up at a table beside
the host.
Soon after the completion of the Atlantic Cable
in 1866, when Her Majesty conferred the honour of
a baronetcy upon Mr Curtis Lamson and Mr Daniel
Gooch, Directors of the Anglo Cable Company ; and
knighthood upon Professor Thompson, the distin-
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guished scientist ; and Captain Anderson, commander
of the Great Eastern, Lord Derby informed the
chairman of the Company that the name of Mr
Cyrus Field was omitted in the distribution of
honours solely because it might appear that it
encroached upon the province of his own govern-
ment, and he would feel himself unable to accept.
The use of the Cable for news — private messages
and commercial purposes between Great Britain and
the United States — soon enabled the Company to
revise their tariff charges. In the year 1867 the
minimum cost of a cable message was £10 for
five words, including the address. Since that period
the cost was once reduced to 6d. per word, but at
the present time the charge is is. per word to
New York.
Having briefly outlined many of the different
methods of accomplishing the same object practised
in New York and London, let me now briefly sum-
marise what Jonathan has done for John in the
amelioration of the daily life of the people, in aid
of labour, by invention of appliances ; and in the
saving of time and trouble in divers ways. I chronicle
these lest London may forget.
These include many agricultural implements which
greatly diminish the labour of the field ; printing
presses and methods of preparing type ; tramways,
which facilitate locomotion ; air brakes ; messenger
boys ; typewriting machines for the educated ; sew-
ing machines for mothers and daughters ; safe deposit
banks ; cheap clocks and keyless watches ; Yale locks ;
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With John Bull and Jonathan
cash registers ; canned goods of all kinds ; scientific
dentistry; the electric light telephone, gramophone,
and kodak which gives an additional charm to
travellers abroad, and to stay-at-homes with their
families. In one respect Jonathan has made a failure
— he has not been able to convince John of the
merits of rye whisky, and when Jonathan's sons
come to England they are not long in discovering
the greater merits of English, Irish, and Scotch
whiskies. In the cases recited Jonathan has done
a goodly work, and John by adopting his inventions
acknowledges his obligation in a patriotic manner.
With regard to the observance of the fashionable
season in England and the States there is a great
difference of time. In America families remain at
home from the end of October to the middle of
January, and in the latter part of that month they
begin to repair to the Southern States, Florida, and
North Carolina. Many also go to the Bahama and
Bermuda Islands, returning home at Easter.
In London the season begins in May, and goes
on to July, when the end arrives with the close of
racing ; and the difference of climate is, no doubt, the
cause of the change in these periods on the two sides
of the Atlantic. The race meetings in England are
far more fashionable functions than in the United
States. There are no races in America which can
compare with Ascot or Goodwood, as an occasion
for the assembling of the fashionable world ; while
the Derby has lost none of the popularity always
characteristic of the day — but then the concourse
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which assembles is not a fashionable one. Other
attractive movements are the Grand National Steeple
Chases at Liverpool, the St Leger at Doncaster,
and the chief races at Newmarket. All these have
neither lost their distinction nor their interest during
the past century. I have been present at one time
or another with American friends, at each of these
functions.
In the United States I do not think there is any
sporting event which can compare in public interest
with the Oxford and Cambridge boat race, Henley
Regatta, or the array and fashion gathered together
at a university cricket match, or at the university
sports. The Eton and Harrow cricket match at
Lords, which lasts two days, will attract 20,000
spectators each day, composed of the most fashion-
able folks from all parts of England, and tradition
seems to require that even old Etonians and
Harrorians should put in an appearance.
219
CHAPTER XV
Popularity of Americans in England— Episcopacy in the States — National
Distinctions — Prince of Wales' Visit — American Public Men in
England— Story of Mark Twain — The East-Enders of New York —
Relief of the Poor and the Sick— "Wake up, England"— Mail-
carrying, Old and New — The Pony Express — Sunday Observ-
ances.
THE question has often been asked me whether
Americans are popular in England, and my answer
to-day is quite different from that which I should
have made in 1867-1870. I do certainly consider
that Americans have won their way to exceeding
popularity amongst the English people, and there
is no social function of distinction or privilege at
which they would not be welcome guests.
No American would fail to appreciate the dis-
tinctions between classes which exist in England,
though they may wonder sometimes at their exist-
ence. Take, for instance, the respective positions
held by the clergy of the Church of England and
by ministers of all other denominations. A Non-
conformist minister, of the highest standing and
the greatest reputation, would not at any public
function be allowed to take precedence of a curate
of the Church of England. There being no Es-
tablished Church in the United States, a Noncon-
formist minister is regarded as occupying exactly the
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same social position, and as being of equal standing
in every respect, as a clergyman of the Episcopalian
Church, where the worship and ritual correspond
to that of the Established Church of England. I
am bound to admit, however, so far as the question
of fashion in religion is concerned, that the Episco-
palians in the States, so far as they can, do regard
themselves as a little better than their Baptist or
Methodist neighbours.
For instance, as an illustration, let me say that
a man like Mr Rockfeller, who is a Methodist and a
great capitalist (who has contributed thousands to
establishing Methodist institutions and the building
of churches), would not be invited to take part in
an assembly of Episcopalians where bishops, deans,
and canons would be present
In England, however, at the greatest of Court
functions, like the presentation to the King and
Queen, an American of good social position would
be admitted after he has gone through the pre-
scribed regulations which are customary on such
an occasion.
American ladies are very much to the fore in Eng-
land in the matter of hospitable entertainments, and
take a leading part in charitable organisations, quite
apart from what is done by those who have married
into the aristocracy. Anglo - American marriages
have ceased to cause any especial excitement ; they
occur daily — chiefly among the titled and professional
classes.
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The essential differences existing between Great
Britain and the United States lie in the funda-
mental characteristics of the two nations. In America
titles for individuals do not exist, and, therefore, there
are no privileged classes. Nor are there any corpora-
tions in the English sense of that term. Wanting a
landed aristocracy, beggary is very limited. Having
no endowed Church, religious rivalries and jealousies
have no existence, and the government of the States
is cheap and efficient. By the universality of educa-
tion, self-respect is discoverable in the humblest
classes, and all alike are animated with a boundless
spirit of enterprise.
The King, when Prince of Wales, paid a visit to
the States in 1860, at which time I was in my first
situation in New York, and a general holiday was
given upon the day of his reception, which I per-
fectly well remember, even to the spot I occupied
on the footway in Broadway. The royal cavalcade
went along the Fifth Avenue to the great hotel set
apart for his use and that of his suite.
When the Prince was about to leave England
the fact of a visit to Washington, the capital of
the United States, was not settled ; but in order
to secure the Prince, President Buchanan, who
in 1853 had been United States Minister to Great
Britain, wrote a private letter to the late Queen,
asking that the Prince might pay a visit to White
House, and the following was Queen Victoria's
reply :—
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BUCKINGHAM PALACE,
22nd June 1860.
To PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.
MY GOOD FRIEND,
I have been much gratified by the feelings which prompted
you to write to me inviting the Prince of Wales to go to Washington.
He intends to return from Canada through the United States, and it will
give him great pleasure to have the opportunity of testifying to you in
person that your feelings are fully reciprocated by him. He will thus
be able at the same time to mark the respect which he entertains for the
Chief Magistrate of a great and powerful State and kindred nation. The
Prince of Wales will drop all royal state on leaving my dominions, and
travel under the name of Lord Renfrew, as he has done when travelling
on the continent of Europe. The Prince Consort wishes to be kindly
remembered to you.
I remain,
Your very good friend,
VICTORIA R.
On the occasion of the Prince's visit I remember
that the streets were magnificently decorated, and a
grand public reception was given to him, while the
most enthusiastic expressions of welcome were shouted
by everyone in his honour. At that time — he was
only in his nineteenth year — he was a beardless
youth. He drove about New York in an open
carriage, without escort of any kind, and in a second
carriage were the chief members of his suite. With
the Prince there rode, the British Ambassador to the
States, and the Duke of Newcastle, who attended
him from England. He very graciously accepted
invitations to private receptions and balls, and there
are numbers of ladies now living in the States
whose chief claim to distinction arises from the fact
that they danced with the Prince of Wales, on
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his visit to America upon this occasion. His bear-
ing was exceedingly dignified throughout his visit,
yet without the slightest trace of hauteur ; and his
speeches upon all occasions showed that he was
thoroughly in sympathy with his surroundings ; and
that he enjoyed seeing all that came under his
notice.
The young bloods of New York were not slow to
mark the cut of his coat, and what is there known
to the present day as the " Prince Albert frock coat"
is the distinctive title of the ordinary frock coat worn
now in England ; while many elderly gentlemen took
serious notice of the whiskers, and length of hair,
worn by the Duke of Newcastle, and established
therefrom their standard for the fashion of wearing
their hair.
During my thirty-eight years' residence in Eng-
land, my good fortune has given me the privilege
of seeing and hearing most of the public men as-
sociated with arts or science, with literature or politics,
who have visited this country from the States. None
of those men who have been recognised as leaders
have been disappointed with the reception which
they have met with in England.
Nearly all the Ministers and Ambassadors sent to
England from the United States have been, with
one exception in my recollection, professional men
— lawyers representing the larger number. Distinctly
literary men have been honoured by representing
their country as Minister or Ambassador to Great
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Britain. Amongst the latter may be mentioned John
Lothrop Motley and Mr Russell Lowell. Once at a
banquet to which Literature was responded to by Mr
Anthony Hope Hawkins, the well-known novelist,
he said, " in America they took their literary men
seriously. They made them Ambassadors. Nothing
of that sort happened over here. He was not airing
a personal grievance, but merely representing his
trade."
Amongst the literary Americans whose works have
been received with the greatest appreciation, and who
have also undertaken lecture tours, was Mark Twain,
who most reluctantly consented to deliver three
lectures at the Hanover Square Rooms in 1874.
At each lecture a crowded house greeted him. I
have never seen these lectures in print ; but I re-
member that they greatly pleased all who heard
them. His method and manner were wholly original.
He came upon the platform, on which were simply
a chair and table, but he made use of neither one
nor the other. Before commencing his lecture he
held his hands together, and stooped over the front
of the platform ; then he paced backward and for-
ward the length of the platform quite half-a-dozen
times without speaking. He then advanced to the
front of the platform, so that his feet were over
the edge, and I felt inclined to utter a word of
warning, as I was sitting in the front row ; but this
would have been unnecessary, for when he began
to speak his manner was most deliberate, and I
p 225
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could see that he had perfect control of the meet-
ing. The lectures were mostly humorous, and yet
when he turned from story-telling to descriptions of
scenery — "The Sandwich Islands" was the subject
of the lecture — the audience could not quite realise
whether he were serious or joking. I can only re-
member now one story which he told. This was a
description of a thunder-storm at Honolulu. He said
that the clouds assumed the blackest appearance in
the east. He was at the time driving in a Sandwich
Island cart. The cart was divided into two parts by
planking, the rear half being usually devoted to the
transport of luggage. The seat was on the central
division. Perceiving by the black cloud that the
rain was about to fall heavily, seeing the flashes of
lightning, and hearing the roll of the thunder, he
roused the pony, and managed to keep exactly in
front of the storm, although when he got to the
end of his journey he found the rear portion of his
cart was filled with water. After telling the story he
kept perfectly still for a moment ; but no one laughed.
With regard to the clothing of the natives, he said
he did not see much difference, as all could be obtained
anywhere from milliners' shops ; but what they mostly
wore was a smile.
Meeting him at a public dinner, certainly twenty
years after the delivery of these lectures, I asked
him if he would tell those present the Sandwich
Island thunder-storm story, and he assured me he
could not remember a word of it, nor could he
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remember even after I had prompted him as to the
point of the story. This was at a banquet given by
the Authors' Society, on which occasion Mr Mark
Twain was the guest of the evening.
I have frequently been asked what sort of a
population exists in New York city which would
come nearest to those living in Shoreditch and
Whitechapel. There are precisely such classes in
New York, but they are not Americans by birth —
they are comprised of a number of various nationalities
who have come from all parts of the world thinking
to better their fortunes in the States. They come
chiefly from Ireland, Germany, Russia, Italy, and
other foreign countries. These people are to be
found in the districts known as the Bowery, Centre
Street, Chatham Street, and the sides of both the
north and east rivers, and they largely correspond
to the people of Shoreditch and Whitechapel in
London. The members of one nationality entering
the United States will in some form or another
attempt to renew many of the customs, the mode ol
life, and the amusements which they have left behind
them in the old world, but none of these foreign
nationalities — except the Germans — have succeeded
to any extent in establishing their old life upon any
enduring footing. The Germans have built a new
Fatherland, and the lager beer gardens flourish
on quite as large a scale as they are found in the
old Fatherland.
The Chinese and Japanese emigrants are in a
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decided minority in the eastern states ; whereas in
California and the mining districts they form the
chief source from whence labour is obtained. They
are industrious and prudent, and engage in any
kind of hard work in the field, or in the house
act as domestic servants. The laundries on the
Pacific coast are almost entirely in the hands of the
Chinese.
The system of Relief for the Poor and Destitute is
ample ; but the wards of Hospitals and Poorhouses
are not occupied by Americans, but almost wholly
by the foreign immigrant. No American would ever
allow any member of his family, however remote the
relationship, to become a charge upon any charity ;
such a thing would be regarded as a great disgrace,
though there is no law compelling their maintenance
at the hand of a relative.
The instinct in an American's breast is overpower-
ing not to allow anyone bearing his name to become
a pauper. All institutions of this class are maintained
entirely by taxation, and such a thing as a Chanty
Banquet to raise funds for charitable purposes — like
is done in England — is nowhere adopted in any part
of the United States. Charity Balls, however, are
popular. Of course, all public institutions receive
charitable bequests and voluntary gifts ; but appeals
are not made on any recognised plan ; and the issue
of begging letters in support of them to the un-
limited extent which is done in England never occurs.
Refuges of various kinds are maintained by unsolicited
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private subscriptions ; and are not erected and estab-
lished unless properly endowed.
Organisations similar to those existing in this
country for the Protection of Children, and for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, exist in the United
States, and are entirely supported by voluntary
contributions. The columns of all the newspapers
would be searched in vain to find a single charitable
appeal, in the form prevalent in England.
After the return of the Prince of Wales from his
tour of England's Colonial Possessions, 1901, upon
the first occasion of his returning thanks for his public
reception in the Guildhall, he uttered the three words
which made that occasion famous : "Wake up, Eng-
land ! " said he ; and these words crystallised the
experience he had gone through, which taught him
that if England intended to march in the van of
progress she must throw off all lethargy and sloth,
and " wake up " to the adoption of modern, and new
methods in order to maintain her supremacy. She
is almost likely to slip behind her daughter Colonies
and the United States.
In the matter of minor Engineering Works for many
years England has been beaten, in point of time, in
construction of bridges and similar undertakings.
English workmen dislike to " hurry up " ; and a foot-
ball match would take them away from the most
important order for engineering work ever obtained
by their masters. Nor have Englishmen advanced as
" Universal providers" in the same way as Americans
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and Germans have. Not only are foreign travellers
gathering the world's orders, but their employers are
adapting their productions to the tastes of their cus-
tomers more readily than the English. Many most
important building Contracts in London have recently
been assisted by American firms — notably the " Savoy
Hotel " and the gigantic Hotel Ritz — the work is done
in conjunction with English Builders. The failure of
British Agriculture might have been prevented by
a better application of methods and the utilisation
of modern inventions to the work of the farm, not-
withstanding the burdens upon the land.
Working days are lost to the nation by the over-
indulgence of her workmen in holidays. Saturday is
a national holiday — almost wholly ; and Monday is
taken to recover from indulgence. This tendency to
slothfulness runs through all the trades of the country ;
and shopkeepers are affected in similar fashion, be-
cause they open later and close earlier. This is the
real cause of English imports advancing so seriously
upon the value of her exports.
One of the most pronounced illustrations of
American enterprise is furnished by the improvements
effected in her Mail-Carrying system. In 1867, when
I left America, the railway coup was the connecting
of California and Oregon with Missouri, and the
mails (which did not proceed by sea and the Isthmus
of Panama, occupying twenty-two days) were trans-
mitted by overland mail-coaches and riders. An
illustration of this was given by Buffalo Bill in his
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Wild West Show at Earl's Court a few years ago.
This service was carried out by rough-riders carry-
ing the mails across the continent, a distance of 3000
miles, in about sixteen days.
" The Pony Express," known as the Central Over-
land California and Pike's Peak Express Co., was
organised in 1860 to convey letters and news from
St Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento and San Francisco
(across the Bay) California, between which points
there was no railway or telegraph line. On 3rd April
1860 the express was opened by a rider leaving each
terminus, and the work was carried on for sixteen
months. The charge originally made for each letter
of half ounce or under was 5 dollars, reduced
afterwards to $2.50 per half ounce — the United
States postage of 10 cents to be paid in addition.
Although they took as much as 10,000 dollars a trip,
and received in the course of the whole period
500,000 dollars, there was lost by the projectors and
founders 20,000 dollars. The original projectors
were Messrs Russell Majors & Waddell, who were
engaged as express agents in western overland
transportation.
The regular United States overland mail was served
by mail and passenger coaches, which occupied nine-
teen days on the journey to a telegraph station, east
of Rocky Mountains, then St Joseph, Missouri. The
Pony Express was organised, without Government
aid, to carry letters and dispatches the same distance,
about 1900 miles, over mountains, in ten days, and the
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projectors hoped after the organisation was running
to do the journey in eight days. By calling at Genoa,
Canon Valley, the express delivered despatches which
the telegraph forwarded to the Pacific cities, and thus
abridged communication in that direction by two
days. The calculation for the work was based upon
the employment of 300 ponies and 150 riders, with
stations every twenty miles apart.
The Pony Express was greeted with great en-
thusiasm by the people of Canon Valley, which
previously had only enjoyed a semi-monthly mail
during winter.
With respect to the first express in the opposite
direction from St Joseph, the first journey occu-
pied less than ten days, and brought 285 letters, 5
private telegraph despatches, and a large summary
of news. This feat was greeted with unbounded
enthusiasm, and the adventures of certain of
the riders were told in the columns of the news-
papers.
On the 1 3th April 1860 the new Pony Express
carried 13,000 letters. This express service was run
weekly. Soon after being organised the Pony Ex-
press was found able to beat the news carried by the
overland mail-coach by nine days.
The rules laid down by the company for the observ-
ance of their riders are probably unique in the history
of any such undertaking in the world. They were as
follows : —
i. You must sign the pledge.
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2. You must not use profane language.
3. You must not get drunk.
4. You must not gamble.
5. You must not beat the ponies cruelly.
6. You must not do anything incompatible with
the conduct of a gentleman.
The postage was 5 dollars for each letter weighing
half-an-ounce or under. This was afterwards reduced
to $2.50 (ios.).
Riders were required to ride seventy-five miles west
one day, and return next day with the east-bound
mail.
Buffalo Bill's ride was from Red Buttes, in Wyoming
territory, to Three Crossings, in Nebraskam — a journey
of 1 1 6 miles.
The railway, which terminated the use of the
express, was made by the Central Pacific Railway
and the Union Pacific, and was not completed until
1869. The loss sustained to the organisers of the
express was made up to them subsequently, by grants
of land along the line of railway, which more than
compensated them for their loss.
New York and London are practically alike in
the matter of Sunday observance and attendance at
church services. The Week-End holiday is greatly
appreciated in both cities. Younger members of
families go out for the day, and the heads of families
attend church.
There are entertainments on the Sunday for
members of the theatrical and other professions
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who are engaged throughout the week, just as there
are in London.
The holiday-maker in the States is orderly and
well-behaved ; but the observance of Sunday partakes
largely of the custom of the mother country, of what-
ever nationality.
234
CHAPTER XVI
The Times and The Standard as Publishers — The Encyclopedia
Britannica, and English Literature — Half-a-million spent in
Advertising — Company Promoting — Savings Banks in United
States — Cheque System— The Waldorf Astoria — United States
Officials — Divorce Laws in America — English and American
Women — A great Snowstorm.
AMONGST the army of advertisers who have ex-
ploited Great Britain I must make special reference
to the work of those whose labours resulted in the
issue of the tenth edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica ; an important Atlas ; a first-class Dic-
tionary ; and the fifty years of Punch, which were
advertised under the auspices of The Times ; and the
twenty volumes of "Famous Literature" advertised
by The Standard. These undertakings were mam-
moth in their character, in the cost of producing the
volumes themselves, and in the payments made to
literary men for their preparation. Perhaps the most
startling feature of all was the outlay on adver-
tisements to effect their sale to the British public.
The whole of these works were exploited by two
Bostonians, Messrs Hooper & Jackson, and they
stood behind the screen as the actual promoters of
the several undertakings ; while The Times and The
Standard allowed their newspapers to be the medium
of communication with the public. The advertise-
ment outlay in connection with their publications
With John Bull and Jonathan
during the last few years must have amounted to
no less a sum than half-a-million sterling ; and as all
the works were a success, the libraries, private and
public, in Great Britain were enriched with these
volumes at a cost of not less than two and a half
millions of money, and the profits upon the sales must
have been enormous, both to the proprietors and
to the newspapers, which had fostered the sales.
The whole business, however, is not one which
can be contrasted with the ordinary transactions
between advertisers, and newspaper proprietors ; the
difference being due to the extreme ability and skill
shown by the owners of the books which were issued,
and the impression they were able to make upon the
proprietors of these two Conservative newspapers so
as to secure the influence of their powerful names.
In all my advertising experience I have never
seen better use made of position, space, and type
than that firm achieved for themselves in the announce-
ments of their books. The Encyclopedia Britannica
was, of course, the greatest triumph, as this comprised
a set of thirty-seven volumes. When completed, each
subscriber became responsible for a minimum of ^28
up to ^48, according to the binding. The terms
upon which the purchase was made — that of monthly
or deferred payments — was a startling proposition to
the book-buyer ; and the tempting bait thus held out
accomplished the object in view, and secured sub-
scriptions ; and I have been assured that the de-
faulters in connection with the different payments
were moderate in the extreme.
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In carrying out the publication and issue of these
books there was a staff organised of probably 500
persons. No cost was spared in securing the
very best staff of Editors and Writers, in the pre-
paration of the advertisements ; and of men who were
authorities on the methods of display and of type.
Some of these were Americans brought over for the
purpose, and others were found in London.
The English publishing trade is said to have
suffered in consequence of the drain made upon the
pockets of book-buyers to pay for these standard
works.
The Display Advertisements allowed by The Times
and Standard had a good deal to do with paving
the way for the appearance of blocks and the per-
manent display of advertisements of articles of mer-
chandise, which had been previously forbidden.
In the provision of Savings Banks there is a
marked difference in the customs prevailing in England
and the States. There are no Government savings
banks in America, similar to the Post Office savings
banks of Great Britain. There are plenty of Banks,
however, well and honestly conducted ; but they are
private speculations without any Government guar-
antee. I cannot recall the failure of any Savings
Bank in the United States. At periods of great
financial excitement runs upon certain of these banks
have taken place, but in the end greater confidence
even than before has been reposed, in these well-
managed and excellent institutions.
In relation to the question of Banks, I might here
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very properly refer to the Cheque system which pre-
vails throughout the United States in the matter
of withdrawing money from banking institutions.
English cheques which are crossed and marked " not
negotiable " can only be collected through a bank, and
are never payable over the counter. Thus the payer
and the payee are amply protected against any loss in
the event of a cheque being improperly dealt with ; or
any attempt being made to do so. This system of
crossing Cheques I have had the greatest difficulty in
explaining to American friends, who have received such
cheques, and on presenting them at the bank counter
have been refused cash, even when payable to bearer
— the two lines drawn across the face of the cheque
being the bar to any such transaction.
The only protection for the cheque in America
is making the cheque payable to the order of the
payee, and he will be unable to obtain cash at the
counter unless he is personally identified, or can get
someone known at the bank to place his name below
that of the payee, with the words " Endorsement
correct."
The English system, I am bound to say, is really
the better for all parties, because less trouble is caused
to the public and the bankers when once understood.
A crossed cheque may be payable to the order
of John Smith, and a man known to the bank cashier
to be John Jones would write John Smith on the
back of the cheque in front of him, and the cheque
would be cashed without the slightest hesitation
whatever.
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An important point of the English method in con-
nection with Banks is that Cheques payable only
through a bank must have the endorsement in exact
accord with the name of the payee appearing on the
face of the cheque. A cheque may be payable to
Adolphus Clark, and the man's real name may be
Adolphus W. Clark, and known to be so by the
bankers ; therefore, if the cheque is not endorsed
exactly as is written by the payer, it would be re-
turned with the words " Endorsement irregular "
thereon, and the signature must be made correct.
The promotion of public companies by means of
advertised prospectus assumed enormous proportions
between the years 1880 and 1900. The history of
many of these undertakings, some prosperous and
others utter failures, are so well known to the public
that it is not my purpose to particularise ; but it is not
surprising that I should, among others, have been
often invited to take an interest in some of these
attractive investments which were offered to the public.
I had, early in my life, made it a rule not to take
an interest in any business which I did not thoroughly
understand ; I had always been able to find invest-
ments for any surplus moneys I might have which
would come under that ruling. I did, however, make
an exception, when the invention of the writing tele-
graph was brought to my notice about the year 1890.
I had seen the practical working of the instruments,
and had the strongest possible endorsements by
eminent electricians that the system was practical, and
could be adopted for commercial purposes. The late
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Duke of Maryborough, who was an expert electrician,
took a very serious interest in the invention, and
came to my office personally, where the machines
were set up, and was prepared to take an important
interest in the formation of a company. So also were
several other gentlemen of reputation and financial
position. The formation of a company had got
to a point when it seemed almost a certainty that
a large sum of money would be paid to me and one or
two others who had the option and control of the
patents, when, like a thunderbolt, came the discovery
that the English patents had been anticipated, and
that no protection could be given to the holders of the
invention in this country. So the matter came to
a sudden and irrevocable end. Fortunately, my in-
vestment in the matter was quite nominal, and really
no money was lost. Up*bn another and later occasion,
the well-known company promoter, Mr Ernest Terah
Hooley made an offer of ,£1,000,000 for the good- will
and trade marks of one of the properties which was
owned in the United States, and for which I was the
British agent. This matter was under consideration for
a few months ; but the American owners ultimately de-
clined to sell and that matter came to an end. Still
later, an American invention known as the Blaisdell
Paper Pencils was brought to me, with patents fully
protected, and also machinery in readiness to manu-
facture. Thinking well of it, I invested a considerable
sum of money, as also did several of my friends, and it
was ultimately offered to the public, and successfully
floated. It was found, however, that the cost of pro-
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ducing the pencils had been greatly under-estimated,
and that the pencils which we, in order to compete
with other lead pencils in the market, would have
to sell at id. and 2d. each, cost to manufacture
something like a is. each. Of course, this meant
a failure, and after every effort was made to reduce
the cost of the pencils and to continue the sale at a
profit, it became necessary to abandon the effort to
continue the manufacture. The company was liqui-
dated and wound up, and a substantial loss, of course,
had to be faced by those who had invested in it.
I am bound to say that a more useful and convenient
pencil for all purposes than the Blaisdell has never
been manufactured and sold in this or any other
country, but the cost of production has rendered it out
of the question to manufacture them on the large
scale to compete with the existing supplies of pencils
both of English and foreign make. I certainly blame
myself for not having more thoroughly tested the
statements which had been made as to the cost of
manufacturing these pencils. It is the old story of
the sanguine inventor having no real knowledge of
practical matters of business. With these experi-
ences, I am not likely to become personally interested
in the promotion or development of any invention
which is outside my own knowledge in every detail.
All the same, I have the satisfaction of knowing that,
in each of the foregoing promotions, they were en-
tirely genuine, and that they were not capitalised be-
yond their value and dividend-earning capacity had
it been possible to work and develop them on the
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lines that were intended when the prospectus was
issued.
The Water Supply of the chief cities of the United
States is carried out on the same principle as in
England, though in no case is there any restriction
as to the quantity used. Every house has a con-
stant supply direct from the mains ; and cisterns do
not exist, even for holding a reserve in case of a
mishap to the water mains. Everyone using the
supply can turn off the water at the main in case
of need, and this frequently becomes necessary in the
winter owing to the freezing of water pipes. In
order to avoid freezing, every householder, however,
has learned by experience that the best prevention
is to allow the water to be kept slowly running day
and night. The occurrence of a water famine in
New York is of infrequent occurrence, notwithstand-
ing the enormous waste which is continually going on.
The supply is obtained from Croton Lake, which is
twenty miles from New York, and the water is
inexhaustible. This lake is owned by the city of
New York ; and the owners of all house property
must pay the water rate : never the tenant.
In 1902 I found that the latest, as well as the
largest and most perfectly-equipped, Hostelry in the
United States had been opened. This was the
Waldorf Astoria, and I stayed there for one week.
I had a bedroom, with bathroom attached, at an in-
clusive charge of 10 dollars per day, without refresh-
ments, but no extras. I was completely surprised
with the size and magnificence of the hotel and
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the appointments. There was accommodation for
2500 guests, and the employees numbered several
hundreds. The method for securing comfort and
happiness was perfect. There is no hotel in London
or Paris carried on upon the same plan. Every
party on arrival is conducted to the Public Bureau,
and one of the party must sign the register and
give the number of guests, before the key of his
rooms is handed to him, and a servant directed to
show the rooms. The hotel is sixteen storeys in
height, and every floor is under the separate manage-
ment of a Manageress, who has at her command three
or four Call-boys ; and she sits at a desk directly
opposite the lifts, so that she commands the whole
situation. Persons coming to the floor, either by
the staircase or lift, cannot get to their rooms
without her knowledge, and after the rooms are left
the keys are deposited with the floor Manageress.
The room assigned to a Guest consists of a bed-
sitting-room, furnished with a writing-table, chairs,
and easy-chair, as well as the usual bedroom furni-
ture. On looking at the table I noticed there was no
stationery, pens, or ink, so touching the electric bell,
a Call-boy answered, and I pointed out to him what
I wanted. He was back within three minutes with
the articles I required. Then I discovered that the
electric light was exactly where I could not sit to
write, so I rang the bell again, and when the Call-boy
appeared I told him the difficulty I was in. The boy
disappeared, but in a very few minutes an electrician
came with an electric lamp having a coil of
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flexible tube, which he connected with a wall bracket
which he fitted up immediately ; carrying the wire to
the exact position desired, and in less than five minutes
the shaded lamp stood in the proper place upon the
table, the light switched on, and everything in order.
Another system which prevails in all American
hotels, and which might well be adopted in some
of the large west-end hotels, is the method of dealing
with Visitors calling to see guests. For this particular
purpose there is a separate Bureau. The name of
every guest is alphabetically arranged in front of the
person in charge of the department. You inquire
for the one you want, and your card is at once sent
by pneumatic tube to the Manageress of the floor
where the one wanted is lodging, and a Call-boy takes
the card to him at once. If you are out, which is
seen in a moment by the key being in place, then
the card is sent back, with the word "Out" written
thereon. All the reception - halls may be looked
through if the Visitor may chance to be in, but there
is no bawling of the name from room to room as in
London.
Another marvellous adjunct is the rapid Lift system.
There are a dozen of these, which work separately ;
each having a special man in charge — the whole
directed by a Conductor. As you approach he waves
his hand to one of the lifts, and you enter. Then
no words are wasted with the lift man — you say
"third" or "fourth" or "fifteenth," according to the
particular floor you want.
The use of the Telephone is remarkable, and the
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system has been brought to a high state of perfection.
This instrument is not only much used for local pur-
poses in New York, but is fitted up in such a way,
with long-distance attributes, that you can communi-
cate immediately with Boston or Philadelphia, Chicago
or St Louis. This would be a distance of 1 500 miles,
and the fee would be very moderate.
On my last visit to New York I found that the
sale of Spirits and Wine on Sunday is entirely for-
bidden at open bars. You may order wine at your
hotel with meals, and be served ; but if a stranger
wishes for a drink he must sit down to a table, and
order a sandwich with his liquor, or he would not
be served. I have been told by experts in discover-
ing secret passages, that those who are well enough
known can find access to private bars at most of the
hotels, where the restriction about the sandwich is
not literally observed — but I never sought one of
these bars myself.
The remark is generally made by Americans who
have visited London, how very admirable the choice
has been of the men who represent the Commercial
interests of the United States as Consul or Consul-
General. This appointment is greatly sought after
as one of the greatest importance. During the thirty-
iight years under review I have been personally
acquainted with all the occupants of these posts in
London, as well as the members of the Staff. The
Deputy Vice-Consul, Major Frigout, has held that
office from 1867 to 1905. Whoever the Consul-General
has been he has retained the services of the Major ;
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which is the highest possible testimony to the ability
with which he discharges his onerous duties.
The post of American Minister was held in 1867
by Mr Charles Francis Adams of Massachusetts ;
the Ambassador since July 1905 has been Mr
Whitelaw Reid. Mr Joseph H. Choate held the
appointment for six years — being two years longer
than any previous Minister or Ambassador since Mr
Adams.
I have often been questioned as to the operation
of the Divorce Laws of the United States, and of the
remarkable facilities which seem to prevail, enabling
disappointed married folk, to dissolve the nuptial
knot at short notice. The fact is that the divorce
laws differ in every state of the Union. In some of
them the conditions are difficult, and hedged about
as seriously as they are in England ; while in certain
States a slight basis of incompatibility would answer
every requirement of the State law. A residence of six
weeks in the State is made sufficient to put the law
in motion to secure relief, and some of the States are
very lax in their rules, as to notice to the defendant.
There can be no doubt that gross injustice is often
caused by the laxity of the legal rules ; and the fact
is known that President Roosevelt at the present
time has the subject under very serious consideration,
and that he is anxious to have one law for the whole
of the States, which shall be just and merciful in
operation. The plea of adultery, unlike the English
law on the point, is equally available for man or
woman ; cruelty not being coupled with adultery, on
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the part of the man, in the United States. In England
a separation may be obtained for adultery on the part
of a man, or for cruelty, or both, or for non-support ;
but divorce can only be obtained on the ground of
adultery with legal cruelty. This legal cruelty may
take the form of threatening the life — not actual
violence — or keeping back the necessaries of life.
Those who have carefully considered the question
all round, consider that the English law of divorce as
it is now administered is really just, and no one has
ever yet proposed a reform of the English law.
In the United States a not unusual occurrence is
to find hastily-divorced people reconsidering their
position, and remarrying ; nor is it unusual for di-
vorced persons afterwards to meet at dinners and
other social functions without difficulty or restraint.
I heard quite recently of a man, whose wife had
divorced him, meeting her six months afterwards
on an Atlantic steamer bound for England, both still
unmarried. On reaching Liverpool the man pro-
cured a special licence ; and they were remarried,
proceeded to London together, and have been living
in agreement ever since.
Another subject which has caused a great deal
of remark and criticism has arisen in regard to
American Women — particularly those having large
fortunes — who marry into families of the aristocracy
in England, frequently for no other reason than
to secure a title and a money settlement. In such
cases no opportunities have occurred for study-
ing each other's character, and there can be little
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wonder at differences subsequently arising. I do
not think that American men feel specially flattered
that the wealthy 'Vomen of their own country are
anxious to marry English husbands on such grounds
as I have mentioned. At all events, whatever ad-
vantages an American husband may be able to offer
his wife, a title is not one of them ; but American
men are, in the majority of cases, more thoughtful,
considerate, and indulgent than English or Con-
tinental husbands, and more ready to allow their
wives to take the lead in such social functions as
interest them, and bring them into friendly rivalry
with other women of the same nationality.
American women residing in London with their
husbands have always been well received. They
have earned a distinct reputation for the smart-
ness of their sayings in conversation, and they
have perhaps more vivacious manners than English
women. There would be great difficulty in finding
an American woman who would be prepared to
take a back seat ; and if she were placed in one,
no long time would elapse before she would march
into a front one.
Those women from the States who have won their
way to distinction or fame in the theatrical or
musical world are very popular in general society ;
their adaptability and amiability are possibly the
result of their cosmopolitan education.
In a lecture recently given in London by an
American, she remarked that she was frequently
asked if American girls were sent to England for
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education. Her answer was that they were, because
" England had much to give for their spiritual and
physical betterment. A less personal outlook, mental
poise, calmer nerves — only environment, could ac-
complish these. If the English and American tem-
perament could be rolled into one, the combination
would be unequalled." Another lady on the same
occasion declared that "the matrimonial alliance
between Great Britain and the United States was
often spoken of vulgarly as a union of titles and
dollars. In the large majority of cases, however,
there were no titles, and not enough dollars to talk
about."
In my opinion, American girls can never rival the
English in physical exercises and field sports, although
a few American ladies have recently achieved con-
siderable success at lawn tennis, golf, and hockey.
Still, the English have a better physical development,
and, what is still more to the point, less nerves.
What is known as the American headache does not,
so far as my observation has gone, attack the British
Maiden or Matron to the same extent as those of the
United States. Probably the true ground of this is
that Americans of the gentler sex, are less careful
in the selection of diet, and take less exercise, than
those of the British Isles.
One thing I cannot overlook is the difference
between American and English children. The pre-
cocity of American children is noticed, not because
they are brighter or more clever than English children,
but arises from the fact that their parents allow them
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to assemble with their elders, and do not place them
under the discipline and restrictions of English youth.
This is not to the advantage of children in the States.
The " Buster Brown" small boy would not be appre-
ciated in England.
" Tall Talk," as it is sometimes called, is not
practised by Americans to the same extent as
formerly. People realise that the "discount" taken
off an extravagant story reduces its value below the
real truth. The English habit is to state facts ac-
curately, unless it be the weight of a fish caught, or
the number of brace of birds shot at the opening day
of a "shoot." I have known both Americans and
English to sometimes " waver a little" when giving
the circulation of a newspaper !
In the matter of conversation, however, there can
be no doubt whatever that American ladies eclipse
their British sisters in brilliant talk, in the piquancy
of their observations, and in their astonishing com-
mand of slang. In regard to the latter, it is
nothing unusual in England to hear American girls
introducing innocent English slang into their con-
versation ; while the English now just as frequently
catch at and adopt humorous American phrases.
The most taking expressions of society are readily
taken up by young ladies on each side of the Atlantic.
A woman of education, however, on either side en-
tirely avoids any approach to coarseness.
I have observed in my long residence in England
that upon the advent of American families the women
more readily adapt themselves to English customs
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than the men ; and though this may be unpatriotic
to say, yet the truth is that the longer the residence
in England the greater becomes the attachment to
the mother country.
During the first year of my residence in London
my wife and I were living in Upper Woburn Place.
This was in the early spring, when the weather was
foggy, chilly, and wet, day after day, producing a most
desponding feeling, and keeping us completely house-
bound, and we could scarcely see across the road.
However, to get a change I took a Hansom, and my
wife and I were driven slowly into the heart of the
city. There was gloom on every hand ; pedestrians
slowly pacing the side paths ; vehicles more slowly
crawling along the streets. Just as we reached the
Mansion House the fog lifted, and disappeared, just
like the raising of the curtain at a theatre, upon a
brilliant scene. Sunshine flooded the streets and
buildings, and my wife, turning her head to the left,
read aloud the words on the facade of the Royal
Exchange: "The Earth is the Lord's, and the fulness
thereof." "That is true," she exclaimed, "and, there-
fore, I am content to stay in London."
The nearest approach to an American winter which
I ever experienced in London was in 1882, when a
terrific snowstorm raged over the metropolis. Wind
and snow mercilessly fought together, until in all the
principal thoroughfares, like Regent Street, the Strand,
and Oxford Street, on the one side or the other, the
drifted snow stood in banks eight or ten feet in height.
Every vehicle was withdrawn, not only on the day
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of the storm, but upon the following day also, and
only with the greatest difficulty could one get from
one part of London to another. Weeks elapsed
before the snowstorm wholly disappeared, because the
whole had to be carted away, and deposited in the
parks, on all waste ground, or thrown into the Thames
from the Embankment. London at that time was
not prepared to cope with such an emergency,
and had not such an army of scavengers as she now
possesses.
As soon as any traffic could be carried on cabs
(four-wheelers) appeared with two horses driven tandem
fashion, and they were quickly followed by Hansom
cabs with the same outfit. Omnibuses required the
assistance of three or four horses to get along the
streets, even at a very slow pace, and fares were
doubled and quadrupled, in every direction.
The loss to the shopping community and to the
proprietors or lessees of the theatres and music halls
was immense. At one theatre which opened doors
at this period four people were counted in the stalls.
There was one American in London at this time
who was the owner of a cutter (known as a sleigh
in England) — and this was "Pony" Moore, the pro-
prietor of the Moore and Burgess Minstrels. He
created immense excitement in all parts of the metrop-
olis by driving the cutter through Regent Street,
Bond Street, Piccadilly, and in Hyde Park, where he
met with a right royal reception. This cutter he had
imported ten years previously, and kept in his stables,
awaiting a favourable opportunity for use. This came
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at last, but, of course, his triumph only lasted for a
few days.
Snow does fall to a certain extent in many parts
of England every winter, and interferes frequently
with railway and road traffic ; but so far as London
proper is concerned the interference is only a question
of a few hours as a rule — the storm of 1882 was
altogether exceptional.
CHAPTER XVII
Commercial Monopolies — The Presidential Platform, 1904 — No Loyal or
Patriotic Toasts at Banquets in the States — " Our Beggar-Pedlar
Bouncer is in" — Mock Auctions and Barkers — Camp Meetings —
Story by Sir John Millais — Mr Birch and his Work — Mrs Jemima
Luke — Conductors on Railways — Art of Criticism — Luck —
Precedents.
PROBABLY no organisation and combination of men
has created greater surprise in England amongst
commercial men than the operations of Com-
mercial Monopolies. The question of their very
existence formed part of the platform of the Demo-
cratic party in the United States, as well as that
of the Republican section, at the last Presidential
Election in 1904. Their respective views were set
forth in the following terms : —
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
Trusts and Unlawful Combinations. — We recognise that the gigantic
trusts and combinations designed to enable capital to secure more than
its just share of the joint products of capital and labour, and which have
been fostered and promoted under Republican rule, are a menace to
beneficial competition and an obstacle to permanent business prosperity.
A private monopoly is indefensible and intolerable. Individual equality
of opportunity and free competition are essential to a healthy and per-
manent commercial prosperity, and any trust or monopoly tending to
destroy these by controlling production, restricting competition or fixing
prices, should be prohibited and punished by law. We especially
denounce rebates and discrimination by transportation companies, as
the most potent agency in promoting and strengthening these unlawful
conspiracies against trade.
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THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM
Anti-trust Laws enforced. — Laws enacted by the Republican party
which the Democratic party failed to enforce, and which were intended
for the protection of the public against the unjust discrimination or the
illegal encroachment of vast aggregations of capital, have been fearlessly
enforced by a Republican President, and new laws insuring reasonable
publicity as to the operations of great corporations, and providing addi-
tional remedies for the prevention of discrimination in freight rates, have
been passed by a Republican Congress.
The President was elected on the basis of the
" Anti-trust Laws " being enforced. This formed
the strongest plank in his platform, and as he re-
ceived the largest number of votes, ever cast at a
Presidential Election, the will of the American people
has been pronounced upon the question.
In the States a man does not usually make a settle-
ment upon his wife at marriage, in whatever position
of life they may move. An American would resent
any such suggestion being made to him by the
parents of his intended bride. A father who was
in a position to do so would of his own accord say :
" I shall allow my daughter so much per annum " ;
but he would not enter into any bond to that effect,
nor allow any investment to be made in trust for that
purpose. He would consider his promise as sufficient,
and the fulfilment as morally binding upon him. Nor
does the father ask his future son-in-law, to make any
settlement upon his daughter. His consent to the
marriage would be difficult to obtain if the man were
not in some substantial way of business, and in a
position to maintain a wife — not on the scale of what
the parents were then living, but on that upon which
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they commenced life themselves. Every encourage-
ment is given to make people self-dependent, and the
parents would not be expected to contribute towards
the maintenance of those married, save under excep-
tional circumstances arising after marriage.
At public dinners in the United States Toasts are,
of course, given ; but the health of the President is not
an established rule, nor that of the Army and Navy,
nor the Houses of Congress. At the end of a banquet
the usual custom is to sing " Home, sweet home."
Hawkers and Pedlars are allowed to ply their
trades in the public streets. They usually sell
eatables of all kinds — fruit, ice-cream and nuts. So
long as they do not obstruct the footway they are
not interfered with. These men may stand on one
spot all day long if they choose ; and men are allowed
to use a small hand-cart, upon which to carry the food
they sell, and they may sell hot cakes and potatoes.
Until the last few years they were allowed to enter
the largest warehouses, banks, and offices quite un-
restricted, and peddle stationery and jewellery, and
canvass for books or pictures ; but this became such a
nuisance by the interference caused to business, that
merchants universally adopted a plan to keep them out.
This was to suspend a large placard at the entrance to
the place of business, on which was printed in large
letters :
-OUR BEGGAR AND PEDLAR BOUNCER
IS IN"
This was an effectual cure.
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Another privilege allowed to pushing shopkeepers
in districts where cheap goods are sold is to hold
mock auctions for the disposal of clothing, jewellery,
and watches. The man who stands at the door of
the shop is called a "barker," because, in addition
to calling out his master's wares, he utters a growl
like a dog to attract the attention of passers-by.
The " barkers " become very proficient, and appear
to be possessed of lungs as powerful as a church
organ.
Out-of-door preaching on Sunday or week-day is
of very rare occurrence ; but, in the summer, enormous
camp meetings are held in country places, where
religious meetings are held continually for weeks at
a time, the promoters and worshippers living under
canvas. I am not able to say that camp meetings
are very seriously taken by any class of the com-
munity ; and they are generally regarded as pleasant
holiday picnics.
A Town-Crier is unknown in the United States.
There is no opening for the services of such a per-
sonage, and all lost goods are forthwith advertised.
There is no official proclamation made by Criers, even
of the election of a new President : the fact is
announced by newspapers.
During my residence in London I have had the
pleasure of meeting many of the most celebrated
artists and sculptors of the day. What is called
" Show Sunday," which comes before the opening
of the Royal Academy, is generally the occasion
when artists and sculptors send round invitations to
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friends and dealers to inspect the work which they
have prepared for exhibition, and on these occa-
sions highly interesting parties are given in the
studios.
Upon one occasion, through the good offices of Mr
C. B. Birch, A.R.A., the sculptor, I had the pleasure
of being present at a banquet held by the Royal
Academicians at the Old Ship Inn, Greenwich. Sir
John Millais, the President, was in the chair, and he
was surrounded by the leading Academicians of the
day. There was an entire absence of formality
which was pleasant to notice. The chairman smoked
a short briar-wood pipe after the loyal toasts had been
given ; and his example was followed by many of the
R.A.'s present. Upon this occasion I had the rare
opportunity of hearing from the artists themselves a
relation of their experiences in the struggle to secure
a footing in the art world.
The chairman told in graphic language the story
of his early life. He said when he first began the
practice of his art, his mother was keeping the home
together, and, as their means became very restricted,
she obtained his reluctant consent to put in their
front window a card with the words " Lodgings to
let " thereon, as there was one room which was
unoccupied. His consent was given about a fort-
night before Show Sunday. Having completed two
pictures, he invited such friends as he knew, and also
some dealers, to see them. Three o'clock in the
afternoon of Show Sunday came, and no visitors had
appeared ; but at four a gentleman arrived, and asked
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to see the pictures. He examined them carefully, but
showed no particular interest, though when about to
leave he asked for pen, ink, and paper, and permission
to sit down that he might write a memorandum.
After doing this he got up, and after remarking that
he had left an address inside the book which lay on
the table, and if the pictures were not sold before
"sending-in " day, he should like to hear from Millais,
he took his departure. Upon opening the book he
found inside a cheque for 200 guineas, signed " John
Ruskin." There were also a few lines in high terms
of praise of the work, and asking the privilege of
being allowed to purchase the pictures for the sum
he had enclosed. He was so overcome with his
good fortune that he sank down on the chair, and
did not recover himself for several moments. When
he did, however, the first thing he thought of was the
notice in the front room window, and dashing in, he
tore down the objectionable notice, and then hastened
to his mother to receive her congratulations. He
assured his brother Academicians that he had never
mentioned the circumstance in public before, and he
added that from that day, he had not known any of
the pinching distress in the matter of rent-paying or
domestic expenses which he had previously endured.
Yet, at that period, he had never received more than
^15 for any work of his.
At this same dinner a song was sung by Mr Vicat
Cole, R.A. (who was constantly addressed by his
fellow Academicians as "Old King Cole"). The
song was of a convivial character.
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The Old Ship is famous as the scene of many im-
portant Ministerial White-bait dinners, and, in the
season, was also noted for the fish dinners which were
served there — eight or ten different kinds of fish being
cooked in as many different ways, and served with
vegetables, and plenty of good wine.
In 1889 a large bazaar was organised on behalf of
the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, to be held at
the Cannon Street Hotel, and the ladies of the City
Temple were asked to take part therein At the
time, Mrs Richards conceived the idea that if we
could obtain a good portrait of Mrs Jemima Luke,
the authoress of the beautiful hymn, " I think when
I read that sweet story of old," signed by her, and
obtain a facsimile of the words in her own handwrit-
ing, they would form an interesting feature of the sale.
Mrs Luke's father was one of the founders of British
and Foreign Sailors' Society. I agreed, and my wife
thereupon set upon the task of finding out the dis-
tinguished lady's address. This was, however, no
light task, and after many inquiries and much pursuit,
the real address was found only a week before the
day for opening the bazaar. She was then residing,
as she is now, at Newport, Isle of Wight. My wife
posted off there, was admitted to see Mrs Luke, who
was then in her eighty-second year, and obtained from
her permission to have her portrait on sale, and she
gladly wrote down the famous words in her own hand-
writing for reproduction and sale. The result was most
satisfactory, and a great sale of portraits and hymns
took place.
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This particular Hymn had been more particularly
brought to our notice by the fact that two little
American girls once sang the words very sweetly
at the morning service in the City Temple. The
children also sang the same hymn at the bazaar in
the Cannon Street Hotel, when they received great
applause.
The fact is singular that there also resides at
Newport the author of another child's hymn, which,
though not so popular as Mrs Luke's, has, neverthe-
less, been sung in every Sunday school of England
and the United States: "There's a place for little
children, above the bright blue sky."
About the same time these little American girls
sang at the City Temple there came to London two
small African boys, under the care of a missionary,
to sing, with a view of raising funds to erect a school
for native children in Natal. These lads heard the
American girls sing Mrs Luke's hymn, and immedi-
ately set to work to learn the same hymn, and after-
wards sang the same with great effect in the City
Temple, and throughout England.
Amongst the trifling differences of custom in every-
day things which attracts attention on arrival in
England is the varying method of despatching a
train. In the States, the conductors who have charge
of trains give the cue to the passengers by calling out
"All aboard," and not in a too polite tone of voice.
But the signal is well understood, and there is no
loitering upon the platform after the words are heard.
In England, however, the guard calls out : " Please
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take your places." The difference illustrates the
temper of the people in both nations.
Mr Birch, who was my host at the Academy dinner
at the Ship, executed a bust of Dr Parker, the cost
of which was defrayed by private subscription, mainly
through the efforts of Mrs Richards. This was de-
clared to be, by all who knew the Doctor, an excellent
portrait, and a thorough work of art. This now
stands in the vestibule of the City Temple, having
been bequeathed to the deacons and trustees by Dr
Parker. Mr Birch also sculptured a bust of Mrs
Richards, which members of the family and friends
regard as an excellent likeness.
In 1890 Mr Birch exhibited in the Academy a
model in plaster of Margaret Wilson, the Puritan
Martyr who was fastened to a stake in the River
Solway, and drowned by the rising tide.
The story is so interesting and pathetic that I offer
no apology for telling it.
In the reign of James II. of England, nth May
1685, two women, Margaret Maclachlan and Margaret
Wilson, the former an aged widow, the latter a
maiden of eighteen, suffered death for their religion
in Wigtonshire. They were offered their lives if
they would consent to abjure the cause of the
insurgent Covenanters and attend the Episcopal
worship. They refused, and were sentenced to be
drowned. They were conveyed to a spot where
the Solway overflows twice a day, and were fastened
to stakes forced in the sand between the high and
low water mark. The elder sufferer was placed near
262
MARGARET WILSON, THE PURITAN MARTYR.
Life size Figure in Marble, by C. E. Birch, A.E.A.
With John Bull and Jonathan
to the advancing flood, in the hope that her last
agonies might terrify the younger into submission.
The sight was dreadful. But the courage of the
survivor was sustained by an enthusiasm as lofty as
any that is recorded in martyrology. She saw the
sea draw nearer and nearer, but gave no sign of
alarm. She prayed and sang verses of the Psalms
till the waves choked her voice. After she had
tasted the bitterness of death she was, by a cruel
mercy, unbound, and restored to life. When she came
to herself, pitying friends and neighbours implored
her to yield. " Dear Margaret, only say : ' God save
the King ! ' ' The poor girl, true to her stern theology,
gasped out : " May God save him, if it be God's
will ! " Her friends crowded around the presiding
officer. " She has said it ; indeed, sir, she has said
it." "Will she take the abjuration?" he demanded.
"Never!" she exclaimed. "I am Christ's; let me
go!" And the waters closed over her for the last time.
The name of Margaret Wilson, in the churchyard
at Wigton, appears in the appendix to "Cloud of
Witnesses " :
" Murdered for owning Christ supreme,
Head of His Church, and no more crime,
But her not owning Prelacy,
And not abjuring Presbytery,
Within the sea tied to a stake,
She suffered for Christ Jesus' sake."
The subject — a painful one — became, in the hands
of Mr Birch, a masterpiece of exalted heroism
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in the moment of death, and as such was greatly
admired by all critics. I gave the talented sculptor a
commission to execute the work life size in marble, and
in little over a year he completed the statue, which
I regard as one of my most precious possessions.
Mr Birch died quite suddenly ten years ago. Had
he lived he would, no doubt, have greatly advanced
his reputation as a sculptor of refined taste.
One of the most interesting visits I ever paid to
the Royal Academy and to the New Gallery was
in the company of a well-known painter of Biblical
subjects. He took the greatest pains to point out
to me the most telling points in the best paintings
of both galleries, and laid down for my instruction
the principles of correct art criticism, which I had
never before properly appreciated. This knowledge
alone enables one to distinguish between meritricious
work and the creation of genius.
Of American writers and novelists a long roll of
distinguished names confront me, both men and
women, with an international reputation, and with
as large a public interested in their works in this
country as in their own land. To particularise would
be invidious. The works of American poets, his-
torians, biographers and essayists, writers of fiction,
dialect stories, humorous works — all of such as have
achieved renown in their own country have been
equally appreciated in England. International
Copyright Laws, happily, have passed for protec-
tion. During my proprietorship of The Academy,
I had often the pleasure of hearing American
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authors express high appreciation of English literary
criticism.
The expressions "Good Luck" and "Bad Luck"
fall very glibly from the tongue, but they represent no
principles which have any existence in fact ; they have
no meaning as determining the source of success or
failure. Change the phrases into "good work" and
"bad work," and you have a substantial explanation
of " good " and " bad " luck.
Some people apparently fail in everything which
they undertake, and others seem to prosper in every-
thing which they enter upon. There is no mystery
about either success or failure. I have never had a
complaint made to me of "bad luck" but that, after
hearing details, I could trace the cause of failure.
Some men have, unfortunately for themselves, got the
word "unlucky" attached to their character, and are
consequently handicapped in every one of their under-
takings beforehand, and feel unable to make the great
effort necessary to ensure success. Men who have
this reputation find a difficulty in obtaining a remuner-
ative appointment, because they are perpetually faced
with the proverb : " Never have anything to do with
unlucky men."
The truth is that an unlucky man is one who is
entirely responsible for his own bad luck. If nerve,
energy, and exertion had been brought to bear upon
his work there would have been no failure. I am
not speaking of those who have been unfortunate
through ill-health, or unexpected cares and respon-
sibilities being cast upon them — I refer more
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particularly to those who admit that they have had
chances in life, but that bad luck pursued them, and
nothing good happened.
On the lines of non-success and failure I place as
the most serious of reasons — assuming that there
exist the qualities of insight and intelligence — un-
punctuality, vacillation, or indecision ; and lack of
concentrated industry and perseverance. The un-
punctual man is simply impossible, and no amount
of excuses can redeem this fault. " Talking through
your hat," with vague, indefinite answers, always
exasperates, to the prejudice of one's proposition.
Indolence, and no continuity of purpose, will ex-
plain many a failure.
Another point to be remembered in connection
with success or failure is the mistaken policy of
people who will not undertake any work which is
not congenial, or work in which they are not inter-
ested. A man out of employment must take the
first respectable work which is offered him, and not
many days will elapse before something more suitable
to his abilites will come in his way. The waiting
for things to turn up, and doing nothing meanwhile,
is the cause of disaster to thousands.
The subject of precedents frequently hinders suc-
cessful business operations from being brought to a
successful completion. You can rarely escape from
a difficulty by following precedents. Because a thing
which has been proposed has not been done before,
merchants frequently decline really good and sub-
stantial business. An American, on the other hand,
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is always ready to consider any business proposition,
whether there is a precedent for the transaction or
not. He will decide the matter upon the question
of merit alone, and not upon the ground that his
grandfather did, or did not do, a similar thing before
him.
I am able to record, however, several remarkable
successes of Englishmen in becoming Universal Pro-
viders, and in the Establishment of " Stores " and
Co-operative Trading for which there was no pre-
cedent until they set the example. " John Bull " has
certainly eclipsed " Jonathan " in one branch of
trading with which I have been associated. American
and British Proprietors have good reason to appre-
ciate the enterprise' and genius of Jesse Boot, of
Nottingham, by whose wise judgment and untiring
devotion to work 350 chemist's shops of the highest
class have been established in Great Britain for the
dispensing of Pure Drugs at popular prices and the
distribution of all wares belonging to a Chemist*
business. How was this accomplished ? The
answer is, by a personality ! a master mind for
organisation ! But it is " Boots, Limited," a public
Company ; yes ! there is, however, but one Manag-
ing Director ! The One Man authority : the triumph
of personal direction — unhampered by a " Board '
and a u Committee." Other chemists' organisations
of suitable character with important branches exist
in England, but Mr. Boot was the pioneer — just as
William Whiteley was the original Universal Pro-
vider.
267
CHAPTER XVIII
Solicitors, Barristers, and Attorneys-at-Law — Bills of Costs — Judges in
England and United States — Medical Men — Fire Brigades —
Management of Street Traffic — Bank of England — General Post
Office — Holidays — Waste caused in England — Bicycles and Tri-
cycles — Freemasons — Clubs — The Sphinx Club — Circulating
Libraries— The Times Book Club— Patents — Motors.
IN England there are two branches of the law, repre-
sented by Solicitors and Barristers ; whereas in the
United States there is only one branch. The solicitor
in the States is usually styled Attorney and Counsellor-
at-law, and he not only prepares the case, but re-
presents the plaintiff or defendant in court. What
usually happens, however, is this. Two or more
Attorneys form a partnership, and they select from
amongst themselves the one who will best represent
the firm by pleading in open court, the consulting
partner seeing the clients and their witnesses, and
preparing the brief.
In England the barrister is the only one who
pleads in the High Courts, and the solicitor prepares
the case for him. The barrister does not directly
see the client himself, until he appears in court. So
carefully are cases prepared that not unusually a
barrister has a brief handed to him only a few minutes
before the case is called, and by his experience in
examining briefs he is able at once to master the
contents, and to grasp the points, and proceed without
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difficulty. This duplicating of legal services adds, of
course, to the expenses of legal proceedings. An
important case would always involve the briefing of
a senior as well as a junior counsel, and when there
are two or three parties to a suit each must be re-
presented by Counsel, senior or junior.
In the United States the Attorney carries the whole
business through all the courts. Wigs and gowns
are not worn.
In rendering the Bill of Costs in the States,
attorneys do not present them in detail, but put
down one sum for the whole business. Frequently,
in important cases, a retaining fee is paid to the
Attorney, but credit is given for this when making
up the final account.
Many of my American legal friends have been
much amused at seeing an English solicitor's bill of
costs, setting forth every interview had, and every
letter written, at 6s. 8d. — whole pages of fool-
scap being taken up with the setting out of these
items.
In the United States Judges are not appointed for
life ; and there is no pension upon retirement, the period
of service being limited to fifteen years. In England
a Judge selects his own time for retiring, and receives
a pension. A judge of the Supreme Court of New
York receives from 10,000 to 15,000 dollars a year,
the sum varying according to the particular district in
which he sits. Those sitting for the city and county
of New York have the largest salaries. A judge
of the High Court in England receives a salary of
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^"5000, and upon retirement a pension amounting
to ,£2500, a year.
In reference to the practice of Medicine in England,
no man may style himself a "doctor" unless he has
passed the examinations prescribed by the Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons. Surgeons, as
a rule, prefer to be called " Mr.," and, therefore, rarely
take the M.D. degree. Prosecutions frequently take
place of unauthorised persons styling themselves
" doctors." In England no one can obtain the
degree of M.D. who has not gone through a proper
course of study and hospital experience ; but in the
United States there is no difficulty about obtaining
this degree, nor is there any objection to any man
calling himself " doctor," if he thinks fit to do so.
A great many retail chemists in the States call them-
selves Doctors ; and there is no law to prevent chemists
prescribing.
A man may also set up as a chemist and druggist,
and act as an apothecary, without holding any degree
whatever. But, notwithstanding this, chemists' shops
are well conducted, and more elaborately fitted up
and appointed, than Chemists' shops in England.
Silver-mounted showcases, marble floor and counters,
are usual fittings ; and the owners have studied
properly, and understand the proper methods of dis-
pensing. They are responsible in law for any evil
result following upon their mode of prescribing or
dispensing medicine.
In 1871 I made the acquaintance of Dr James
Edmunds, F.R.C.S. London, and he became our
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family physician and devoted friend, and has so con-
tinued to this day. What we owe of gratitude to
Dr Edmunds for his professional skill and services
and warm friendly interest in our welfare, at all times
and in all ways, I cannot express in words. Dr
Edmunds has retired from active practice, and has
removed from London to Brighton, but still attends
upon old patients and friends when possible. His
plan was always to suggest methods to "keep well,"
and he was never a doctor who believed in much
coddling, nor was he disposed to order narcotics or
spirits. He was loth to recommend sea - voyages,
winters in Egypt, or the Riviera. His sound practi-
cal advice was " Get well at home," where favourable
conditions are under your own control, such as good
beds, warmth, food, sanitation, quiet, and nursing.
"But change of air?" "Yes; when you are well,
and fit to travel, and can put up with the self-denials
involved in all journeys and the life in hotels." Dr
Edmunds has not "Luke" for his surname; but he
is known as "The Good Physician," to hundreds of
American and English families.
Another variation upon an accepted practice in
England is that Members of both Houses of Con-
gress in the States are paid a per diem salary.
A Senator receives 5000 dollars per annum, and a
Member of Congress 5000 dollars. In addition they
are allowed mileage expenses. Members of both
Houses do not now enjoy the privilege of "franking"
letters through the Post Office.
Members of the British Houses of Parliament
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enjoy no allowances or privileges of this kind what-
ever. A Member of Parliament in England may be
elected for any constituency for which he chooses
to stand, and he decides for himself whether this shall
be his own county or borough, or any other more
distant. As an example, Mr Gladstone always selected
what was considered the most difficult constituency,
in order that he might in this way strengthen the
political party to which he belonged, knowing that
he could really get in through any constituency he
chose. In 1880 he chose to put up for Mid-Lothian,
in the south of Scotland, a strong Tory centre, and
which was sure to return a Conservative Member
unless a powerful opponent came forward. Mr T. P.
O'Connor, an Irishman, residing in London, has
represented North Liverpool for a great many years ;
and this is the case with many of the most prominent
members of the House of Commons, They become
identified with important constituencies, and repre-
sent them year after year, probably only paying a
visit to their constituents, and making a speech, once
in the twelve months.
Members of Parliament in England may be un-
seated if proof is given that they have directly or
indirectly been guilty of bribery amongst the voters
whom they represent. The employment of vehicles
for which payment has to be made is illegal, though
many voters may reside at a considerable distance
from the polling booth. All carriages and other
vehicles then made use of on the day of election,
must be lent free of cost by friends of the cause.
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Another curious matter which differs from the
practice in the United States is that, a voter may
cast his vote for a Member of Parliament in as many
different constituencies, as he pays rates and taxes.
A Londoner may have one vote in the suburb in
which he resides, another in the city where he
carries on business ; and yet others in more distant
places where he happens to pay the rent and the
taxes.
Any Candidate is allowed to employ and pay
a Parliamentary agent to act for him, send out
circulars, and solicit votes, but he must not make
any monetary payment to a voter, or promise any-
thing of the kind. Treating at public-houses at
election time is also prohibited by law. Legitimate
election expenses include the cost of Halls for meet-
ings. But this is well known : that any independent
candidate for Parliamentary honours is afforded
ample opportunities of influencing an election by
the subscriptions and donations he is asked for, on
behalf of all sorts of local schemes for raising money
for bazaars, charities, hospitals, and athletic sports.
The Fire Brigade service in London I once
believed to be as perfect, or more perfect, than any
other in the world. But my faith has been rudely
shaken by the declarations of Dr Edward Atkinson,
who ranks as one of the greatest experts on pro-
tection from fire living in the States. I shall quote
from a statement made by him to a representative
of The Evening Standard and St James s Gazette,
which appeared on 3rd August. He has studied
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the question of protection from loss of life and
property by practical observation ; and upon his
advice several precautionary measures were taken
for the better security of the art treasures in the
National Gallery, Trafalgar Square. A further im-
provement he suggests is the substitution of "wire
glass for ordinary glass in all the upper windows."
This is as important for use in Private houses and
factories as in Art galleries and Museums. He says :
" I have seen it made red-hot on one side, while
cold water was played on the other without causing
a break. As a fire protection this glass is as good
as a brick wall." Appliances in England, he declares,
"are mere toys" compared to those in use throughout
the States. He did not see, on his last visit, "a
single stand-pipe in any street." " In America the
stand-pipe runs to the highest floor of the loftiest
building, and is so constructed that the engine can
be connected without a minute's delay. No hose is
needed, and water is thrown on to every floor." Fire
protection in factories throughout England " he
considers " inadequate." Since the system he re-
commends has been adopted in the States, " not one
life has been lost in any of the factories." Improved
methods of protection from fire are greatly needed
in London.
Up to within the last forty years, in the United
States, the whole Fire Department in cities and towns
was entirely voluntary, and only became a duly-
organised body with the creation of the steam fire-
engine, which, I believe, was an American invention.
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At the Communal insurrection in Paris, when that
delightful city was set on fire in more than a score
of places at the same time, there was no steam fire-
engine to be found. One had never been seen by the
Parisians, and the first used in Paris was sent over
from London, when the Communists had been
suppressed.
As a young man in new York, I remember that
to belong to a Fire Company, or a Hook and Ladder
Company, was as popular as volunteering in
England, and the major number of young men of
the best families were members of one company or
another. The Engine-House and the Hook and
Ladder Shelters were used as Clubs, and members
would go there to talk and smoke, and wait for the
alarm signal. Both forms of these fire appliances
were drawn by ropes, every member of the company
assisting to drag, and the expenses were raised by
private subscriptions. With the invention of the
steam fire-engine came the creation of the Public
Fire Department, which is under the control of the
city of New York, and is maintained out of the
rates. The chief engineer of the Fire Department,
Harry Howard, I can remember, became the idol
of the youth of New York. His career was a re-
markable one. He had been left an orphan at an
early age, and was cared for in the first instance
by some city charity, and when he grew up attracted
attention by the successful manner in which he
rescued a number of persons from burning buildings,
winning for himself a reputation for fearlessness and
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With John Bull and Jonathan
courage second to none. At his death he had a
public funeral, which was attended by the entire
Fire Brigade of New York.
The management of the London Street Traffic by
the police has been a subject of frequent, and always
complimentary, remark by visitors from all parts of
the world, and only recently an inspector of the
police force of New York was despatched to
London to study the method which is in force.
As a boy, I can remember that in New York
there was no Rule of the Road in existence, and
omnibuses would bolt across the street in front of
a carriage, dray, or private equipage. The principle
adopted was for everyone to drive as they liked,
the result being an absolute block in the streets for
hours at a time, which the police were unable to
unravel. Upon one occasion our American Am-
bassador, Mr Bayard, wrote a letter to the Press of
England complimenting the authorities on their
management of the Street Traffic, and he spoke of
the method adopted as illustration of the power of a
policeman's uplifted hand. " No word was spoken,"
he remarked. " A constable raises his hand, and
the traffic in one direction was immediately stopped.
Any breach of the signal given resulted in the
offender being summoned before a magistrate, and
fined, and, if the driver of a licensed vehicle, upon
a repetition of the offence, the licence would be
cancelled. So admirable a system is to the interest
and advantage of the whole travelling community."
The Bank of England is always an object of great
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interest to all American visitors, and I believe this
is the only bank anyone has the least curiosity to
visit. An order to view is easily obtained, and the
visitor is shown the whole process of issuing bank-
notes, and the various methods adopted in a great
banking institution. At the close of his visit the
stranger will probably boast that he has seen more
gold, and more value represented by bank-notes,
than ever in his life before. If, when a cheque is
presented, the question is asked : " How do you wish
this cheque cashed, in notes or gold ? " and the reply
is " Gold," the sovereigns are never counted, but
shovelled into a scale, weighed out, placed in a bag,
and handed over. So accurate is the weighing that
no mistake is ever made. In the course of his
journey the Visitor will be shown a comparatively
small bag of gold, and will be courteously informed
that if he can carry the bag across the room he
may become the owner for his pains, yet no one
has ever been able to carry the bag far enough to
establish a claim to possession. At another point
a bundle of bank-notes is placed in the stranger's
hand, with the announcement that the bundle re-
presents ,£1,000,000 of money, so that for a few
seconds the stranger has really been a millionaire,
without the burden of any further responsibility after
leaving the precincts presided over by the " Old
Lady of Threadneedle Street." The bank is guarded
at night by a Lieutenant of the Guards and a number
of Guardsmen.
The Postal System in England deserves the highest
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possible commendation for accuracy and promptness
and the rarity of a failure in delivery. Since my
residence in England commenced, the Telegraph and
Telephone services have been acquired by the Service,
and the parcel post has been established — all of them
being carried on at as reasonable a cost as is consistent
with the administrative outlay. The only omission in
the Parcel Post system — which is included in that
of the United States — is that in England the Post
Office will not C.O.D. This system, which is found
to be of great utility in the States, has been carefully
and experimentally considered in England, and, no
doubt, will in time be adopted. One great source
of objection is that raised by Provincial Traders, who
consider that the system would divert the small
trading upon which they rely to large houses in the
cities. In the States, if the receiver of the parcel
does not pay on the tender of the parcel, the goods are
not handed over.
With regard to the matter of Holidays, Americans
are greatly surprised with their frequency, and con-
sider that they are far too numerous. I do not share
this opinion. The legalised Bank Holidays are Good
Friday, Easter Monday, Whit Monday, the first
Monday in August, Christmas Day, and 26th De-
cember. These six holidays as an aggregate are not
really too numerous, but the difficulty arises when
to each of these holidays an extra day or two is, by
universal custom, added. For instance, with regard to
Good Friday, most of the large city warehouses and
public institutions will close from the Thursday to the
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With John Bull and Jonathan
following Tuesday, and even longer occasionally.
Factories are shut down for a week, and the same
thing recurs at August and Christmas. The belief
is that the indulgence of the people generally at these
periods causes absence from work really extending
through many weeks. The wages paid at factories
stop, of course, during these prolonged holidays, and
debt is incurred which cripples the work-people for
a long time after they return to their usual employ-
ment.
In the United States the great holidays are Decora-
tion Day, 30th May ; New Year's Day ; Lincoln's
Birthday, 1 2th February ; Washington's Birthday,
22nd February ; Independence Day, 4th July ; Labour
Day, 5th September ; Thanksgiving Day, usually the
last Thursday in November ; and Christmas Day.
These are two more in number than are enjoyed in
England and Ireland ; but the consequences are not
the same, because work is resumed on the day follow-
ing a holiday with almost exact regularity, so that
there is no loss of wages following through the indul-
gence of the workers, as is the case in England.
When I first came to England Bicycles and
Tricycles had not been invented. The Bicycle
gradually rose to an unprecedented popularity, being
taken up by men, women, and children in every
rank of life. The tricycle had a very short popular
existence, and this year (1905) both vehicles are
gradually dropping out of popular esteem, and they
are not in demand by one-tenth what they were
ten years ago. I never became a successful cyclist,
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though I was one of the first to purchase a tricycle
— one of those popularly known as a " H umber."
At that time the only fault the machine had was
the risk the rider ran in descending a hill, which
made the probability of a spill over the handle-
bar not at all unlikely, unless you could carefully
balance yourself. But improvements followed in
rapid succession, and to-day the makers maintain
their high reputation for both bicycles and tricycles.
On one Bank Holiday I set out for a long day in
the country, and came to utter grief at Richmond
Hill, which is only six miles from the Marble Arch.
One knee was so badly scarred by my fall that I
had to call a four-wheeler, put the tricycle on the
roof, and so was driven home in disgrace.
A few days later, having recovered, I rode my
tricycle to Harrow, accompanied by a medical friend.
We rode well on the outward spin, but returning,
coming down Harrow Hill, my companion just
happened to touch the hub of my machine, and I was
made to repeat the gymnastic feat I accomplished
at Richmond Hill, and had to repeat the course
I previously took, in order to reach home. I have
never mounted any cycle since.
I should admit that from boyhood I never considered
I ever had any Engineering ability, and I was regarded
as one so utterly devoid of mechanical knowledge as
to be unable to sharpen a blacklead pencil. I do not
think I am quite so helpless as that ; but upon one
occasion Professor Fowler, the phrenologist, examined
my bumps at a lecture he gave at the City Temple,
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and declared that whatever other gifts I might possess
mechanical genius was not one of them. The Professor
was right.
While Bicycles and Tricycles have largely retired
from public favour, the Motor car has certainly become
established in public use in a most remarkable
manner. Probably no single invention of so costly
a character — for motor cars in England cost from
^250 to ^2000 — has ever before attained such enor-
mous popularity. Even wealthy people have practically
emptied their stables, and sold their carriages, preferring
Motor Broughams for daily use, and large Cars for road
travel. For the future, I believe that the inventive
genius of the manufacturers in the several foreign
countries where they are now made, will shortly put on
the market a car, which will not exceed the cost of
an ordinary carriage.
The Motor vehicle is not only used in England
as a private carriage, but is rapidly becoming a public
convenience of the day. About the streets the Motor
Bus is fast supplanting the omnibus with horse power.
As trade vehicles they have appeared in large numbers,
and motor engines on the roads have met with the
distinct approval of many classes as a great convenience.
The great Omnibus companies are gradually altering
their plant for motor power, and the same may be said
of almost every description of public vehicle, including
Tramcars.
There are so many Freemasons in all parts of the
world that I have frequently been questioned by
members of the brotherhood as to the extent of the
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Order in the States. As to numbers, I believe there
are, according to Grand Lodge returns, upwards of
1,000,000 Masons in the States. I joined the Order in
1872, and since then have had many American Masons
as personal guests, or as guests of the Lodges to which
I have belonged. A Masonic banquet is not a feature
in the United States, and the habit of holding one
following a meeting of the lodge is unusual. This,
however, is invaribly the custom in England.
Amongst London Clubs there are a large number
which are partly social and partly literary. These
have no Club-houses of their own, and only meet
upon certain fixed occasions. This is the case with
the New Vagabond Club, the White Friars, the
Sphinx, and others.
Amongst many associations in London formed
amongst Commercial men for mutual assistance and
the interchange of ideas, one of the most interesting
is the Sphinx Club, which was founded in October 1904
by twenty gentlemen connected with the advertising
profession, and their allies — newspaper proprietors,
publishers, and advertisers. I had the honour of
being elected the first president. A monthly dinner
is held, after which a debate upon a given subject
connected with the profession takes place. One of
these was " What is Advertising?" which gave rise
to an important and valuable discussion. Other
topics of a kindred character have been taken at
the club dinners. At the banquet held in May at
the Hotel Cecil members had an agreeable surprise
at the hands of that prince of cartoonists, Mr F.
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Carruthers Gould, who presented to each a copy
of an Egyptian scroll, in which, while gently carica-
turing, he also idealised and immortalised, a few of
the prominent members of the Club.
The system of Circulating Libraries in London and
other parts of England is well carried out, and all
of them are well supplied with up-to-date literature,
while the subscriptions are really moderate. A firm
known as Mudie's is the most prominent and best
known, and from this library the vast majority
of country libraries are supplied. The business done
by circulating libraries has greatly diminished since
the establishment of rate-aided Public Libraries and
by the reduction in price of popular fiction. Prior
to 1890 nearly all novels were issued in three-volume
sets, the published price being 313. 6d. This put
the purchase of such works quite out of the reach
of ordinary readers, and the Libraries not only
became the best customers of the publishers, but
frequently determined the success or failure of a new
work. If the Libraries declined to buy, the book
was almost certainly doomed to be a failure. All
this, however, has now been changed, and at the
present day 6s. is the publishing price of books
by the most popular authors, and this is practically
reduced to 45. 6d. by the net figures charged by
retail booksellers. As a result, people now buy
books, where previously, they borrowed from a
library to read only. This should also be noted,
that books published originally at 6s., after their
first popularity is passed, are issued in cheap editions
283
With John Bull and Jonathan
of is. 6d., and even at is. — well bound — while many
standard works, of which the copyrights have expired,
may be bought at 4^d. or 6d.
While these pages have been passing through the
press, The Times, which is ever in the van of literary
progress, has announced a new scheme for a lending
library in conjunction with the issue of their journal.
This is called " The Times Book Club," and affords
every subscriber to their paper the opportunity of
reading the latest published works in every depart-
ment of art, drama, philosophy, poetry, travels
and science, on demand without charge. Three
books may be had at a time ; they may be changed
every day ; and after being read be purchased at half
the published price. A finely-appointed depot is
opened in the west end, and the enterprise is worthy
the genius of the great paper.
The Book- Lovers' Library is also a flourishing
institution with a reasonable subscription and con-
venient facilities. Boots Limited have added a lend-
ing library to their other departments, and have scored
a great success in obtaining the patronage of book
readers in all localities where their stores are situated.
What were called the " Yellow Backs " have almost
disappeared, and the new cheap editions are issued
bound in cloth, and sold at the lowest prices. Even
authors of the present day find their works saleable
at these low figures, and while they are glad of
the large circulation which they obtain, have to
admit a loss of income as a result of this form of
trading.
284
With John Bull and Jonathan
The fact is not generally known that a Patent
can be obtained in England upon any article, whether
a new invention or otherwise. No inquiry or test
is made of any kind. You simply say to the clerk
you wish to patent a certain invention, and they
issue a Patent, and take your fee, which is no
guarantee whatever as to the validity, because an-
other may have anticipated yours. The fees, fortun-
ately, for this supposed patent are most moderate.
In the United States a Patent is not granted
until after submission to the examiners, and search
made as to similar patents, and no Patent is granted
unless there is proof that the invention is new,
novel in principle, and that principle never antici-
pated. Such a Patent is at once of great value if
the invention is valuable, because protection is at
once ensured from infringement. But in England
the value or insignificance of a Patent can only be
ascertained after an action at law with another
claimant, which is a very expensive transaction.
285
CHAPTER XIX
Afterwords — Gathering up the Threads
IN this closing chapter of my reminiscences I have
left many friends and relatives in business and at
home doing their appointed work with all their
might, with all their heart. Many are still living
and labouring as before, and the consecrated life flows
on, like a stream descending from a mountain, only
occasionally ruffled by a projecting rock or jutting
crag, pressing forward to the sea.
I have spoken of my sainted mother's death and
burial. She now lies in the Beals burial plot at
Canandaigua, whither her body was removed in 1863.
The last journey my dear father took, by sea and
land, was to visit me, and he met his death by a
strange accident at Edinburgh. Of this I have
spoken.
My Father married for his third wife Mrs Helen
Lawrence Franklin, widow of George Franklin, and
a descendant of the Lawrence family of Flushing,
Long Island. She survived my Father twenty-eight
years, and died in 1902, leaving one son, the child of
her first marriage. He adopted legally the name of
Richards, and is a practising lawyer in New
Hampshire.
In reviewing the years of my business life in
286
With John Bull and Jonathan
London, justice compels me to refer to those who
have been actively engaged with me, and to whose
loyal service I am deeply indebted. My office staff
from the very beginning have, in the majority of
cases, proved most efficient, and in several cases have
developed exceptional gifts, showing great devotion
to the furtherance of my plans, and so advanced the
interests of my firm.
A member of my staff who joined me in 1886 was
my uncle, Mr Thomas Spencer Deals, my mother's
brother. The late Mr Beals, in consequence of a
business disaster in the States, caused by no neglect
of his own, urgently requested me to take him into
my office, and in his sixty-fifth year, with his wife
and daughter, crossed the Atlantic to take up my
work in the old country. He came over in 1886,
entered upon his new duties with great zest, carried
them out with the utmost ability and punctiliousness ;
was never absent except on two occasions when ill,
took very moderate holidays, and died after seventeen
years' faithful service, at the age of eighty-three, igth
March 1904. His whole career of work in London
was a remarkable performance. Bancroft Library
In addition to American agencies, I have for twenty
years been the English representative of two eminent
manufacturers in Belgium — viz. Ch. Delacre et Fils
and L. Ecckelaers of Brussels — and my personal
relations with these gentlemen have always been
delightful to me, and their hearty appreciation of
Anglo-American methods has been a matter of satis-
faction — ever evincing a keen interest to advance
287
With John Bull and Jonathan
with the times ; never seeking for a precedent, or
fearing an innovation.
Other firms have entrusted their business agencies
in England to me, and our relations have nearly
always ripened into warm friendship with their
principals, and I am glad to say that no firms which
have placed their business in my hands have ever
withdrawn from me ; and I have never been associated
with a failure in their interests. This may be ac-
counted for by their talent and skill in suggesting
a course of procedure, rather than following my own
initiative. Still, in many cases I acted entirely on my
own responsibility, and without any limitations being
placed upon my actions.
My old friend and first employer, to whom I have
made frequent reference, Mr Demas Barnes, became
a Member of Congress before I left the United States.
He died in New York on ist May 1888. During
his Congressional term he was active in procuring
Legislation for the construction of the Brooklyn
Bridge, and was a Member of the first Board of
Trustees. He also advocated the building of the
new Post Office in New York, as well as other large
works of a similar kind. He was a Director of
the Long Island Railway, and of several Insurance
Companies, and was prominently connected with many
Philanthropic and Charitable Institutions. He left
a fortune of several millions. His first wife, who was
with him on his first visit to me, died ; and he re-
married. He had one daughter by his first marriage
— Miss Cora Barnes, and one daughter by his second
288
With John Bull and Jonathan
wife — Miss Mildred Barnes. Mrs Barnes was married
in 1892 to Mr William Henry Bliss, a prominent
Lawyer and District Attorney of St Louis, Mo.,
and who afterwards removed to New York. These
ladies frequently visit this country, and are among
my dearest friends.
One of the most important successes achieved by
Mr Demas Barnes in 1860 was by forming a partner-
ship with Mr P. H. Drake, and trading as P. H.
Drake & Co. This firm was established to continue
and enlarge a business originally started in the town
of Binghamton, State of New York. Mr Drake was
one of the most genial of men, and I have spent many
pleasant hours with him, both in New York and
London. He died in 1883. His only daughter is
Mrs Arthur Duane of New York, and, like the
daughters of Mr Barnes, has always kept in touch
with me and my family, and with feelings of mutual
regard.
With regard to partners, Mr Demas Barnes always
held that no partnership could be successful where
each partner did not combine talent with capital.
He was certainly fortunate in his own partnerships.
Mr John F. Henry ultimately became the successor
of the firm of Demas Barnes, having upon Mr
Barnes' retirement purchased the stock and goodwill
of the whole of the business, with the exception of the
proprietary articles, which he reserved as his own
private property. This was in 1873. Mr Henry
continued the business, and took in two partners, but
in February 1876 the firm went into liquidation.
T 289
With John Bull and Jonathan
Mr W. P. Ward and Mr Brent Good, with whom I
was so pleasantly associated in my early days, have
both carried on business associations with me up to
the present time ; and each of them spends a portion
of each year travelling in England and upon the
Continent.
My brother-in-law, Mr Henry K. Terry, with
whom I was associated in the tobacco enterprise, left
England soon after the Tobacco Trade Amalgama-
tion, and settled in Richmond, Virginia — afterwards
removing to Minnesota, where he now resides.
Mr John F. Allen, and Mr Lewis Ginter, the
founder of the " Richmond Gem," and other brands
of American cigarettes and tobaccos (Allen &
Ginter), both died at Richmond, Virginia, within
the last ten years.
Mr S. R. Van Duzer, under whose auspices I came
to England in 1887, died at Newburgh, New York,
in 1904. I saw him upon two occasions only after
the dissolution of partnership, in 1872. His son,
Frederick C. Van Duzer, has conducted and managed
the business, first as partner with his father, and
latterly as the surviving partner, and has for many
years been one of my best friends.
With regard to those of my relatives whose names
I have introduced into these reminiscences, I must
place on grateful record a few facts concerning
them.
My brother James, after leaving college, entered
upon the study of the law. He received the degree
of LL.B. from the University Law School, taking
290
With John Bull and Jonathan
a further course of two years in the Columbia Law
School under Theodore W. D wight, LL.D., receiv-
ing the same degree and the further honour of LL.M.
after having delivered the Alumni address a year after
graduating, and in due course was admitted a member
of the Bar in New York. He began practising Law
at once, continuing in practice from 1863 to 1898.
At first in partnership with Mr C. N. Bovee, the well-
known author and Philosophical writer, and from 1874
to 1898 was associated with the eminent Law firm
of Coudert Brothers of New York.
The special Branch to which he gave his attention
was the Law of Real Property. In 1897 he was
elected President of the D wight Alumni Association
of the City of New York, succeeding in that office
Justice Morgan J. O'Bryan of the Appellate Division
of the Supreme Court of the City of New York.
Leaving the States, he has travelled considerably
through Europe, enjoys excellent health, and is a
constant visitor at Steephill Castle. He married
three years later than I did. His wife died five
years ago, leaving no family ; and he now enjoys
complete rest from professional labours, and finds
in the pursuits of a country gentleman, with occa-
sional excursions into literary work, that solace and
happiness which he deserves.
My sister Caroline married Mr Edmund C. Clarke
of Naples, a lake village about eight miles from
Canandaigua, New York. She has one son and three
daughters. All of them are living.
My sister Anna married Mr A. A. Cummings of
291
With John Bull and Jonathan
San Francisco, who died while on a visit to me in
1894, since which time she has made her home
with me.
My stepmother, after a number of years, died at
Jackson, Michigan.
My sister Elizabeth became the wife of Mr Justice
J. T. Marean of the Supreme Court of the State of
New York. Their home is in Brooklyn, New York,
and they are in the enjoyment of leisure and means.
They have crossed the Atlantic many times, always
visiting me, and meeting together on terms of mutual
affection and interest.
My sister Julia died when she was three years
of age.
My wife is an established favourite wTith all classes.
Her heart is ever open to the appeal of the " unlucky."
She facetiously observed upon one occasion: " There
are two classes of letters addressed to me, the contents
of which I know by heart as soon as I read the open-
ing sentence. One begins : ' Knowing your kind
heart' — she is a woman who wants me to visit her,
and see her seventeen children. A second com-
mences : ' Forgive an utter stranger for troubling you ;
if you knew my distress' — she is a lady who wants
me to lift a mortgage on her house of ^300."
Occasionally, in her goodness of heart, she has been
led into undertakings of great difficulty. Upon one
occasion, in 1879, she received from Hablot K.
Browne ("Phiz"), the well-known illustrator of
Dickens' works and others, a portfolio full of
sketches, which he asked her to show her friends,
292
"
._., -'; •'•
jr •
!
'7<-f,
~>
FAC-SIMILE OF DRAWING BY " PHIZ," 1879.
MBS. JOHN MORGAN BICHABDS.
With John Bull and Jonathan
who might purchase a few. She was unsuccessful
in this, and after a certain time had elapsed he wrote
a pleasant note, asking for the return of the portfolio,
expressing the hope that they were not thrown on
the dust-heap.
On the opposite page is a facsimile of his letter,
sketch, and autograph.
In my own family circle there has for many years
been only "one vacant chair." My daughters have
known sorrow ; and still face their daily duty with
heroic faith.
My sons are at my right hand with me in business.
My wife has counselled and supported me in the
most difficult and the most sad experiences of my life ;
all my joys have been shared with her. We both
are blessed with wonderful health and cheerful tem-
peraments. Personally, I am both active and energetic,
continuing in my business from preference, and desire.
To other comrades and beloved ones whom I have
loved, and from whom I have parted, with deep
reverence I adopt the language of St Paul the
Apostle: "And what shall I more say? for the time
would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and
of Samson, and of Jephthah."
For myself I also use a Scriptural expression :
" What shall I render unto the Lord for all His
benefits ? "
" The Now is an atom of Sand,
And the Near is a perishing Clod,
But Afar is as Fairyland,
And BEYOND is the Bosom of God."
293
Index
ACADEMY, 159, 161, 264
"Academy crowning," 160
Accent and pronunciation, 202
Advanced pharmacy, 76
Advertising, 46 et seq.
— fireworks, 52
— in England and United States,
59
— half-a-million spent in, 236
Advertisement, a puzzling, 52
Albany, Bishop of, 154
Alexander, George, 120
Alexander, Rev. Prof. W. L., 83
Alfonso XII., 117
Alien American, the, 177
"Alien unnaturalised," 177
Allen & Co., J. F., 66, 290
Allen & Ginter, 66, 68, 290
Alterations in buildings and streets,
162
American, a cute, 51 et seq.
— cigarettes, introduction into
England, 66, 67
— colony in London, 149
— extract of malt, 76
— Round Table, Holborn Viaduct
Hotel, 72
— society, 152
— Tobacco Co., 69
Ampthill, Lord, 171
Anderson, Captain, 216
Annie Swan (Mrs Burnett Smith),
107
Answers, 63
Appleton, Dr, 159
Arnold, Laura Hortense, 18
— born at Mahone Bay, N.S.,
18
Arnold, Matthew, 159
Arnold, Captain Seth Harris, 18
Art of criticism, 264
"Artful Dodger," 131
Artemus Ward, 41
Aspinwall, 22, 25
Astor Place riots, 126
Athletics, 164
Auburn Theological Seminary,
3,5
BAD debts, 71
Ballston, New York, 2
Bancroft, S. B., 129
Bank of England, 276
Bank holidays, 278
Bankers and credit, 23
" Bar5! of Apple Sass," 131
Barnes, Henry & Co., 26
Barnes, Ward & Co., 26
Bateman, Kate and Isabel, 130
Beals, Elizabeth, 5, 6
— John, 3 ; emigratedfrom Higham,
Northcote, England, 3
— Lydia, 3
— Thomas, 3, 5 ; established the
Ontario Savings Bank, 3
— Thomas Spencer, 287
" Bee Hive," 3
Beecher, Rev. Dr Lyman, 3
— Rev. Henry Ward, 4, 28, 63, 80,
86, 87, 106, 213
Beecher-Tilton affair, 28, 86
Bell, Moberly, 62
" Bells, The," 130
Bellew, Rev. J. M., 35
Belloc, Hilaire, 160
Belmore, George, 129
295
Index
Benevolent Fund, American Society,
151, 152
Bill of costs, 269
Billington, 129
Binney, Rev. Thomas, 83
Birch, C. B., A.R.A., 258, 264
Bishop, Dorothy, 122
Black and White, 64
Blaisdell Paper Pencils, 240
Blauvelt, Isaac A., 9
Bliss, William Henry, 289
Bolton, 57
Boot, Jesse, genius of, 267
Boots' Library, 284
Boots and shoes, American, 61
Boston, 1 8, 51
Boucicault, Dion, 129
Bovee, C. N., 291
Brewer, Chief-Justice, 4
British Museum, 136
Brooklyn Argus, 27 et seq.
— Eagle, 27, 29
Brough, Lionel, 129
Browne, H. K. (" Phiz "), 292
Bryant, Dan, 128
Buchanan, President, 222
Buffalo Bill at Earl's Court, 230
Bunyan, John, 70
Burroughs, Wellcome & Co., 76
Byron, H. J., 130
CAB fares in London, 75, 142
— in New York, 198
Cable message in 1867, cost of, 217
California, instructions for journey
tO, 21
— Northern, of 1866 contrasted
with to-day, 24 ; and Pike's Peak
Express to, 230
Campania, 187
Canandaigua, 3-5, 11-13, 29I
Carnegie, Andrew, 215
Charity collections in New York,
196
Charities in London, American,
148
Cheever, Dr G. B., 80
Cheque system, 238
Chicken food, 209
Children, discipline of, 2
Choate, Joseph H., 148, 246
Christian Chronicle, 88
Christian World, 91
Chronicle, 62
Cigarettes, forcing British sale, 68
Circulating libraries, 283
Citizen, 88
City of Berlin, 31
City Temple, 78 et se£.
— Thursday morning services,
84
Civil War, 1 8
Clarke, Edmund C., 291
Clarke, J. S., 131
Clough, Arthur Hugh, 159
Clubs, 282
Coghlan, Charles, 202
Cole, Vicat, R.A., 259
" Colleen Bawn," 129
Colman's Mustard, 87
" Colonel, The," 202
Commercial Hotels unknown in
United States, 19
Company promoting, 239
Conrad, Joseph, 160
Conway, F. B., 126, 127
Cooke, Alf, of Leeds, 165, 169
Cost of living in United States and
England, 138
Cotton, J. S. Sutherland, 159
Coudert, Brothers, 291
Cowles, Caroline, 2
Cowles, William, Sheffield, 2
" Create a sensation," 22
Cross & Blackwell, 75
Crossley & Co., Richard, 44
Cummings, A. A., 291
Cunarders in 1867, 31
Custom-House regulations, 194
Cuyler, Dr T. L., 80, 81
Daily Mail, 62, 65
Daily News, 62
Daily Telegraph, 65, 84
Daisy Family Story Paper, 88
Dean, Julia, 124
" Dearer than Life," 129
Delacre et Fils, Charles, 287
296
Index
Demas Barnes & Co., 18 et seq.t 41,
54, 173
Democratic platform, 254
Derby, Lord, 217
Diamond Match Company of
Maryland, 77
Dickens, Charles, 126
Divorce Laws in United States, 246
Doble, C. E., 159
" Donation Party, A," 9
Dormitory of New York, 213
Drake, P. H., 289
Duane, Mrs Arthur, 289
Duke & Co., J. R.,66
Dust-bins, 207
Duzer, S. R. Van, 30, 36, 41, 66,
150, 152, 155
Dwight, Theodore W., LL.D.,
291
Dysart, Earl of, 172
ECCKELAERS, L., 287
Echo, The, 62
Edmunds, Dr James, F.R.C.S.,
270
Education in United States, 146 et
seq.
Ellsworth, Judge, 8
— Stewart, 8
Emerson, R. W., 141
Encyclopedia Britannica, 235, 236
England in age of Wycliffe, 160
— for cabinet work, 59
English editors and advertising
columns, 46
— proprietary articles in United
States, 75
Episcopacy in United States, 220
Esher, Lord, 156
Evans' Supper-Rooms, 132
Evening Standard, 273
Express, 62
Extracts from Dr Parker's letters,
93,94
FAIRCHILD BROTHERS, 76
Fairfield, Conn., 2
" Famous Literature," 235
"Fanchette," 130
Farrar, Archdeacon, 80, 135
Fascination, a new, 56
" Feathers for Arrows," 82
Fechter, Charles A., 129
Fenian outbreak in London, 37
" Ferme, La," 67
Field, Abigail, 4
— Cyrus W., 4, 216
— David Dudley, 4
— Henry M., 4
— Stephen J., 4
— Captain Timothy, 4
- Rev. Timothy, 4
Field sports, 165 et seq.
Fire brigades, 274 et seq.
Firms in London, American, 177
Fleming, Canon, 135
<f Forest Lovers," 160
Forest, Edwin, 126, 127
Forms of address, 74
Foster, John Wyeth £ Sons, 76
Fountain, The, 88
Fowler, Professor, 280
Fox, Sampson, 169
Franco-German War, 63
Franklin, Mrs Helen Lawrence, 286
Fraser River, 24
Freemasons, 281
" From the Atlantic to the Pacific,"
27
Fulford, Senator George T., 182
GARNET, MRS, 160
Genealogical tree of Richards'
family, 2 et seq.
General Post Office, 277
Genoa, Canon Valley, 231
Gibb, Robert, R.S.A., 95
Ginter, Lewis, 290
Gladstone, Mr and Dr Parker, 105
— and electioneering, 272
Glyn, Isabelle Dallas, 133
— receives Royal Bounty, 134
— gifts and death of, 135
Gooch, Daniel, 216
Good, Brent S. H., 26, 41, 54, 290
Gould, F. Carruthers, 283
Graham, H. J., 160
297
Index
Grant, Albert, 62
— and Leicester Square, 164
— General U. S., 116
Great Eastern, 216
Graphic, 63
Guildford, Conn., 4
" Gutter Snipes," 49
HALL, DR JOHN, 80
— Rev. Newman, 80
Hanford, Ruth, 2
Hare, John, 129
" Having a good time," 203
Hawkins, Anthony Hope, 225
Hay, John, 154
" Heir-at-Law," 131
Henley, William Ernest, 160
Henry & Co., John F., 26, 66, 289
Hermann, Dr E., inventor of
post card, 74
Hewlett, Maurice, 160
Hind, C. Lewis, 159, 161
Hodgson, Henrietta (Mrs Labou-
chere), 129
Holborn Viaduct, removal to, 70
Holidays in England, 98
— in United States, 279
Holland, 179
Holloway's Ointment and Pills, 54
Hooley, Ernest Terah, 240
Hooper & Jackson, 235
Hotels of London and America
compared, 33, 138
Hotten, J. Camden, 42
Housekeeping expenses and ser-
vants, 142
Howard, Harry, 275
Huntley & Palmer, 75
Huxley, Professor, 160
ICED champagne an American in-
novation, 34
Identification, novel, 23
Illustrated London News, 47, 63,
64
Imperial Tobacco Co., 69
Importation of American boots, 61
" In search of summer breezes in
Northern Europe," 27
Independence Day, illumination in
Boston, 52
Irving, Washington, 125
— Sir Henry, 129, 134
— as Mathias in the " Bells," 130
Isle of Wight, loo, 171
JEFFERSON, JOSEPH, 118, 125, 127,
202
— in London, 126
Jonathan, what John Bull owes to,
2 1 1 et seq.
Judges in England and United
States, 269
KAATSKILL Mountains, 125
Keats, Gwendoline, 160
Kelvin, Lord, 216
Kemble, Charles, 133
Kendal, Mr and Mrs in " Pygma-
lion and Galatea," 118
" LADIES' At-Home Day," 157
Lake District — the Wordsworth
country, 100
Lamson, Curtius, 216
Lang, Andrew, 160
Langham Hotel, 33
Leader, 62
Lectures by Dr Parker in United
States, 87
Lee, Sidney, 160
Lever, W. H., 57
Liebig's Extract, 75
Literature, 161
Liveries adopted in America, 207
Liverpool, 32
Londesborough, Earl of, 165
London forty years ago, 161
Louisville, Kentucky, 20
Lowell, Russell, 225
" Luck," 265
Luggage checking in America, 183,
184
Luke, Mrs Jemima, 260
MACREADY, W. C., 127, 133
Mail-carrying, old and new, 230
et seq.
298
Index
M'Kessor & Robins, 76
Manhattan Island, 191, 212
M.A.P., 63
Maple sugar tapping, 13
Marconi wireless messages, 189
Marean, Mr Justice J. T., 292
Mark Twain, 225 et seq.
Marlborough, Duke of, 240
" Massa Chan," 63
Massett, Stephen, 135
Medical men, 270
Mellon, Mr Alfred, 129
Middle Row disappears, 162
Milburn, Dr, 154
Millais, Sir John, 258
Mock auctions and barkers, 257
Monopolies, commercial, 254
Montreal, 26
Morgan, John, 6
" Morning Call, The," 124
Morris William, 160
Morristown, New Jersey, 2, 8
Motley, John Lothrop, 225
Motors, 281
Murray, John, 159
Musgrave, Sir Anthony, G.C.M.G.,
4
Mustang ponies, 23
NATIONAL GALLERY, 136, 274
Nelson, Thomas, 63
New Year calls, 157
New York, Bishop of, 154
New York Evangelist, 4, 80
New York Herald, 170
New York Sunday World, 65
Newark, New Jersey, 3
Newcastle, Duke of, 223
Newnes, Sir George, 161
Newth, Professor, 107
Nevada, 24
Neville, Henry, 129
" No Thoroughfare," 129
Norris Castle, East Cowes, 101, 171
OARSMEN, English the better, 165
O'Bryan, Judge Morgan J., 291
O'Connor, T. P., 63, 272
Old Park, estate of, 172
"Ole Virginny Tobacco Shop,
The," 68
"Our American Cousin," 125, 202
Owens, John E., 131
PANAMA, 21, 23, 25
Parker, Dr Joseph, 63, 70, 81 et seq.
— anecdote of, 104
— imitation of dialects, 104
— and Mr Gladstone, 105
— mind telegraphy, 106
— illustrated letter to Pearl, 112
— bust of, by C. B. Birch, A.R.A.,
262
Parker, Mrs, presentation to, 95
— death of, 101
— epitaph, 103
Patents, 285
Pater, Walter, 160
Pattison, Mark, 160
Peak, Frean & Co., 75
Pears' Soap, 75
Pender, Sir John, 216
Pen Yann, Yates County, 6, 1 1
" People's Bible," 88
" People's Lawyer," 131
" People's Prayer-Book," 88
Phillips, Stephen, 160
Pictorial World, 64
Pirating English medicines, 54
" Pocahontas, the Gentle Savage,"
I31
" Plantation Bitters," 51 et seq.
Plymouth Church, Parker incident
in, 92
Pope, Charles, 124
Port Gibson, Mississippi, 12, 14
Port Sunlight, 57
Portland, Oregon, 22, 24, 25
Portsmouth, treaty of, 45
Precedents, 266
Presidential election, 1904, 254
Prendergast, George W. Y., 123
— Sir Harry, V.C., G.C.B., 123
" Prince Albert Frock coat," 224
Prince Consort, statue of, 162
Princeton, New Jersey, 11,15
Process blocks, 64
Pryce, Rev. Vaughan, 102
299
Index
Proprietary business and adver-
tising, 46
Pseudonym Library, 120
Public undertakings, 211
Punch, 41, 48, 167, 235
QUAKER and the cigarette, the, 68
Queen Victoria, national monument
to, 155
— letter of, to President Buchanan,
223
RACERS through London, 136
Railways, 163
— travelling, 180
— conductors, 261
Reid, Whitelaw, 154, 246
Richards, Anna Beach, 6
Richards, Caroline Cowles, 6
Richards, Dorothy Christian, in
Richards, Edward Cowles, 16, 124
— character and death of, 17
Richards, Dr James, Professor at
Auburn Theological Seminary, 2
— died in 1843, 3
Richards, Dr James, 5
— at Union College, Schenectady, 5
— marries Elizabeth Beals, 5
— accepts call to Aurora, 6
— transfers ministry to Pen Yann,
Yates County, 6
— death of Mrs Richards, 6
— marries Sarah Wisner, 8
— accepts call to Morristown, New
Jersey, 8
— resigns through ill health, n
— professor at Planters' College,
Port Gibson, Mississippi, 12
— removes to New Orleans, 15
— goes to England, 16
— visits Dr Parker, 8 1
— dies in Edinburgh, 85
Richards, James, LL.B., 290
Richards, John Morgan, family of
English origin, i
— birth of, 6
— school life, 7
— Morris Academy, 9
— first school experiences, 9
Richards, John Morgan, farming
at East Bloomfield, 12
— life on a farm, 13
— enters college at Port Gibson,
Mississippi, 14
— superintends removal of father's
library, 16
— taken charge of by Uncle
Edward, 17
— first warehouse engagement, 17
— appointed to manage branch at
Boston, 1 8
— enters service of Demas Barnes
& Co., 18
— sets out for England, 31
— first impressions of London, 35
— acquires partnership, 36
— starts business in own name,
66
— first law-suit, 43
— personal acquaintance and
friendship of Dr Parker, 81
— joins the Diaconate of City
Temple, 94
— visits Paris, 117
— education of sons, 122
— first visit to a theatre, 124
— walking and touring in England,
173
— Continental experiences, 179
— revisiting America, 187
Richards, Pearl (Mrs Craigie),
birth of, 31
— as a mimic, 113
— marries Reginald W. Craigie,
119
u Some Emotions and a Moral,"
119
— " Journeys end in Lovers Meet-
ing," 120
— "The Ambassador," 120
Richards, Samuel, original settler
in America, 2
Richmond Gems, 67, 68, 290
"Rip Van Winkle," 118, 125
Ripon, Bishop of, 109
River scenery, disfigurement of, 52
Robertson, Agnes, 129
— Forbes, 120
300
Index
Robertson, Madge (Mrs Kendal),
129
Rochester, Dean of, 80
Rockfeller, Mr, 221
" Romeo and Juliet," 124
Roosevelt, President, 246
— Anna, 2
Rotterdam, 179
Royal Academy, 136, 264
Ruskin, John, 259
Russell Majors & Waddell, 231
SACRAMENTO, 231
Sag Harbour and Shelter Island, 2
" St Croix Rum," 53
St James's Gazette, 273,
St Joseph, Missouri, 231
St Paul's Cathedral, 80, 136
San Diego, 24
San Francisco, 22, 23, 231, 292
Savings banks in England and the
States, 237
Scoreby, near York, 165
Seabury & Johnson, 76
Seasons in London and America,
218
Seligmann Brothers, 150
Servant problem, 191
Shore, W. Teignmouth, 161
Shorter, Clement, 64
Sinclair, Archdeacon, 80
Sketch, 64
Sky-scrapers, 190
Slave plantation, life on a, 14
Smith, Captain John, burial-place
of, 70
Smithfield martyrs, 70
Snowstorm of 1882, great, 251
Social amenities in American clubs,
204
Social life of Scotland in the
Eighteenth Century, 160
Solicitors, barristers, and attor-
neys-at-law, 268
Spanish War, 54
Spearwater, Hon. Peter A., 18
Sphere, 64
Spindler, William, 172
Spurgeon, Rev. Charles, 35, 80
s.s. Russia, 31 et seq., 187
" S— T— 1860— X," 52
Stamp tax on proprietary medicines,
Standard, 235, 237
Stanley, Dean, 80
Stage in 1867-68, London, 129
Stage Yankee, the, 201
Steephill Castle, 172, 291
Steinway Hall, experience at, 135
Stevenson, A. E., 154
— Robert Louis, 160
Stockbridge, Mass., 4
Stowe, Mrs Beecher, 14
Stranded Americans, 149, 150
Street language, 73
— Traffic, management of London,
276
" Study in Temptations, A," 113
" Successful Business," 96
" Summer Sonnets," 103
Sunday editions of American news-
papers, 64
— observances, 233
T. P:S Weekly, 63
"Tales of Unrest," 160
Talmage, Rev. T. De Witte, 80
Tatter, 64
Taylor, Judge Henry W., 5
-J. L., 155
Tenants and rent-collecting in
New York, 125
Terrell, Hon. Alex. W., 154
Terry, Ellen, 134
Terry, Henry K., 69, 290
Thackeray, W. M., 115
Thompson, Rev. Dr, 80
Tilton, Mrs Theodore, 28
— Beecher-Tilton affair, 28, 83
Times, The, 47,62, 109, 161, 235,
237
Times Book Club, The^ 284
" Tipping in England," 158
Tit-Bits, 63
Toast-master, the, 214
Tobacco combination, a great, 69,
290
Toole, J. L., 118, 129, 130
301
Index
Torrey, Amos G., 26
Tower of London, 136
Travelling expenses, 19
— facilities, 194
Trevelyan, G. M., 160
Turgenieff, Ivan S., 160
Tussaud, exhibition of Madame,
36> J36
Tyndall, Prof., 160
Tyng, Rev. Dr S. H., 80
" UNCLE DICK'S DARLING," 130
" Uncle Tom's Cabin," 14, 15
United States medicine ware-
house, 25
— for machinery, 60
— officials, 246
VASSAR COLLEGE, 147
Vehicles, the fashion in, 206
Viaduct, opening of the, 162
Victoria, British Columbia, 25
Village life of an American minis-
ter, 6
Voorhees, George, 9
" WAKE UP, ENGLAND," 229
Waldorf Astoria, 242
Ward, William Porter, 26, 29, 173,
290
Webster, Ben, 129
Weldon, Bishop, 80
Wells, Fargo & Co., 23
Welsh, John, 116
Westminster Abbey, 80, 136
White Star Line, 187
Widows as publicans, 175
"Wife well Won, A," 129
" Wig and Gown," 130
Willesden, shooting school at, 166
Wilson, Sir Erasmus, 163
Wilson, Margaret, 262
Wilton, Marie, 129
" Wind among the Reeds, The,"
1 60
Windermere, Lake, 100
Wisner, Henry A., 8
Wisner, Sarah, 8
Women, American, 200
— and English, 247 et seq.
"Woodbine" slave plantation, 14
Wood, Mrs John, 131
Worcester Sauce, 75
Wyndham, Charles, 129
YALE COLLEGE, 2
Yeats, W. B., 160
302